The Hunter and the Hunted
by keelhaulrose
Summary: On an ordinary night Jasper Whitlock is sitting in a club in England when he comes across a woman who smells like no other. He soon finds out that she is indeed like no other he has met. AU!
1. Intoxicated

**A/N: As idiotic as I find myself at the moment, I decided to start another story. It's been bouncing around in my head for a while. It's a Hermione/Jasper fic, and _TOTALLY_ AU. Jasper never met Alice, never went vegetarian, and is travelling the world when he comes across Hermione. Other AU points are made in the text of the story. It's a bit different than what I usually write. We'll see how it goes. Leave me a review!**

**I'm not JKR or Stephanie. I don't own a thing. I've just taken liberties.**

* * *

The bass was thumping throughout the club. Bodies crammed as close to each other as possible, each moving in sync with the music, a group mating-ritual of sorts. He sat, barely moving in the corner, black eyes scanning the crowd, smiling back as his devilishly good looks drew scantily clad women towards him. He had flown into the country a few hours earlier, and it was nothing more than another stop on his journey. He would leave a body behind here as he had left one in New York, and would leave another in a couple days time. They were nothing to him, he was a predator stalking his prey.

One hundred and forty years or so had indeed made him quite a predator. He had learned to use his gift to feel out people's emotions and choose his prey. There was a time, not so long ago, that he didn't care who he killed. Whatever gave him a meal. But after some time he felt bad of depriving children of their parents, husbands or wives of their lovers, parents of their children. Luckily around the time he started to become conscious of who he killed was the same time nightclubs became the fashion. Single, childless people galore, old enough that he didn't feel he was depriving someone of decent years with their child. He could never tell for sure, but he was in tuned to people's emotions enough that he could tell their intentions. A man who was planning to force himself upon a woman _felt_ differently than a man who was hoping he would be 'getting lucky' that night. The world was much better off without the former.

So he found himself in the club that night, seeking out the right one for him to satisfy his thirst with. If he didn't find someone who suited his taste, he would settle for one of the women who were constantly eying him. So drawn by his physical beauty they were willing to go against that feeling that there was something off about him, they would be easily enticed to follow him, and even more easily killed. Not the ideal, but he needed to feed.

A woman walked past him without sparing him a second glance, but her scent wafted at him. One sniff, and it was almost impossible for him not to attack her right then and there. Her smell was divine, a perfect combination of sweetness and a rustic, woody smell. It hit him, much like the overpowering scent hits one when they walk past the perfume section of a department store. Though, unlike the department store, he could not resist what this girl promised. His eyes followed her, he could only see the back side of her, but whichever side of her he saw was unimportant. He didn't care about this girl's past, he had to have her. She was now his prey, and her hours on this earth suddenly became very short. Normally he could wait for hours for his target to get somewhere he could kill them without being disturbed, but it was difficult for him to wait now. Seconds were hours, she moved, so horrifically and deliciously slowly that his body screamed to lunge after her. The witnesses would be dealt with afterwards. Another trick of his, he could calm his victims to the point they were lost from reality, and would stand around like cattle waiting for him to slaughter them. Every single one, quickly and efficiently. Over two hundred people, and the police would never figure it out. Easily enough he could rig it to look as if a bomb had exploded, perhaps rig the gas line.

In his hesitation the girl had caught up with her companion. For the first time in, well, he wasn't sure how long, he actually looked at the one he would be killing. She was beautiful in a way, hair casually swept up in a brown knot at the nape of her neck. She had applied some makeup, but nothing flashy. She was not trying for anything tonight. But it was her eyes that intrigued him more than anything. Haunted, distant, speaking of experience well beyond her years. Yes, she was out that night in hopes of forgetting something in her past, but it was not helping. Nothing would ever help.

Her companion was nothing special. A raven-haired man with no interest in her. He was out to help alleviate some of the suffering she he been tortured with. He felt... guilt. Odd. As if he were part of the reason of her suffering. They danced together, at a safe distance, and he could tell she had been attempting to drown her sorrows. She danced stiffly, she didn't want to be there, she had been forced. It was almost sad to think that had she not been forced to go out, she would spend the night warm in her bed, wake up the next morning, and go about her business without ever knowing about the corpse he would have left in her stead.

It was growing late, and there was a good chance neither one wanted to stay out until the early hours of the morning. Leaving a club full of dead bodies was a waste. He would have to be patient. He wouldn't have to wait long.

* * *

She really hadn't wanted to go out that night, but Harry had talked her into it. She had been having difficulties getting over Ron's death, well, difficulties getting over all the deaths of the battle, but his in particularly. She loved him, and she had lost the one that she loved so much. And she lost her parents, who, she found out, hadn't survived a month after her attempts to save them. But the news of their death had just been the period at the end of the sentence. Not wholly unexpected, but the mark of the end nonetheless. She had gone into a rut as she watched Ron die, the news of all the deaths thereafter dulled into the rest. She still hadn't been to Australia to visit the graves that someone had arranged for her parents.

That night was the first night, after months of begging, and before that months of waiting for the right time to beg, that Harry had convinced her to leave the house she had grown up in, to go see the outside world. He had offered to buy her dinner, but she had no appetite, her only appetite in the past months had been just enough to sustain her. He next suggested a nightclub. Somewhere where the music was loud enough to lose her thoughts. But it was no use, while the music dulled the pain, it would never leave her.

She danced with Harry as she would dance with anyone else she wasn't interested in. She did it to placate him, to give him some peace of mind. He felt as though Ron's death was partially his fault, if he hadn't played dead then Ron might not have been so driven to run into the group of Death Eaters, madness in his eyes.

And so she put on a happy face and danced. She ignored the people around them, the hungry looks she was getting from men. She wouldn't find happiness in that club, but perhaps Harry would find a little. And the next day he would get up and go to his Auror training. She would continue poring over old books, doing research for a wizard she didn't like at a job she couldn't stand that helped her escape her own mind for a few hours a day.

"Something to drink?" Harry asked.

"I'll get it," she said, stumbling towards the bar. She had a few too many, but the drink seemed to help numb her, help her forget a portion of the sadness that had been closing in on her. She went to the bar, got another round, and headed back towards Harry, who was also being watched by several women. But Harry had Ginny. The two loved each other, despite their distance, and the girl's looks were for nothing.

She didn't see the dull, red-black eyes watching her, staring at her with an intensity that no mortal could ever dream of conjuring. Despite her training, despite everything she had learned in books, even though she felt she could see them, she didn't see the handsome young man who suddenly had eyes only for her. She didn't feel his cold gaze upon her, didn't know the reaction she was causing in him.

"This is it," she said, handing Harry his drink. "This is the last for me. We have to work in the morning."

"Then enjoy it!" he smiled, toasting her. They began dancing again, close to each other but minimizing the touching. There was nothing between her and Harry, and there never would be. She was a friend, but never anything more. A woman, but nothing more than a 'friend'. Damaged goods.

She drank as her movements became less in tuned with the music, as she felt the warming effect of the drink take hold of her, lifting her and dulling the pain even further.

"Do you need me to help you Apparate back to your flat?" Harry asked as they put their empty glasses on a nearby table and started towards the door.

"Don't want to Apparate," she smiled, stumbling slightly.

"Alright, I walk you back," he said, offering her his arm.

"Don't bother. It's only three blocks away, but it's in the wrong direction for you," she said, stopping at the entrance of the club.

"Are you sure? You can come back with me to Number Twelve and spend the night."

"No, I'm fine," she smiled, dropping her voice. "You've got a bus ride ahead of you, you should get going. I'm a big witch, I'm not so far gone I can't defend myself."

He looked at her skeptically, but shrugged. She was never one to put herself into stupid, dangerous situations, quite the opposite actually. It was only three blocks through a nice neighborhood, what trouble could she get into in that time?

"Have a good night, 'Mione," he smiled, giving her a hug.

"You, too, Harry," she muttered, hugging him quickly, then starting towards her house. Harry was already walking towards the bus stop in the other direction. Had he looked behind at her he would have seen the honey-blond haired man following her silently down the street.


	2. The Chase Begins

**A/N: You guys are awesome! I think I got the most reviews for the first chapter of this story than I have for any of my other stories. I'm really excited for this, I've been writing it in my head and needed to get it down before I lost some of it. I'll try to update more frequently, things have been a bit crazy in my life right now. This is probably going to have shorter chapters than most of my other stories, but hopefully that will get them out quicker.**

**Enjoy, and please review.**

* * *

She was scared, and she wasn't sure why. She was halfway home, a mere block and a half from her house, but she couldn't keep the hairs on the back of her neck from standing straight up. She listened as hard as she could, but she could only hear the soft echo of her heels on the sidewalk.

Slowly she put her hand in her jacket and withdrew her wand. She kept it close to her, so it was all but invisible to the outside world, but ready to move at the slightest provocation. She walked past a car idling on the side of the road, it's headlights weakly flooding the area in front of it with light. As soon as she was out of the gaze of the two people arguing inside she whispered a Supersensory charm. Swimming in front of her eyes was not only the image of what was in front of her, but what was behind her. And she could immediately tell what was making her feel so ill at ease.

A pale, beautiful young man with dark eyes, he couldn't be much older than she, was walking about half a block behind her, staring at her intently. Random men would not cause this reaction in her, she wasn't afraid of some Muggle, and could easily defend herself. But there was something about this man, something not right, something her body was screaming at her not to ignore.

She pondered what it could be for a couple seconds until the man stepped into the dim headlights. And there was a flicker, no more than a fraction of a second, of something in his eyes that made her blood run cold. She sobered up immediately as adrenaline poured into her veins.

Those eyes were not only dark, but there was a touch of crimson to them.

Her breath caught for a moment. She realized that she was being stalked. By a vampire.

Unintentionally her pace quickened, and behind her the man sped up slightly to match her. She knew she could just Apparate, could turn and disappear, but something was different about the way this vampire had looked at her. She had seen a hungry vampire before, and read dozen accounts of people having encounters with vampires, and none of them ever described the intensity that this one was staring at her with, and it seemed like anyone who had _seen_ this intensity would have made note of it. Her gut, every instinct she ever had, was telling her that Apparating would only buy her so much time. She knew their powers, knew he probably overheard her telling Harry she only lived three blocks from the club. They had already gone two blocks, there was only so much further she could go before getting to her house. He knew where she lived, and something told her that he would wait, taking out her neighbors one at a time, until he found her.

She turned away from her house, nearly sprinted down the next block, took another sharp turn and, when some bushes temporarily obstructed his view of her, Apparated into the building next to her, which happened to be a church. If he was truly stalking her he would still be able to smell her. There was a man at the house next to her fixing his car, a much easier target than the one who had disappeared into thin air. She felt slightly guilty at putting the man in danger, but she was almost certain that the vampire would skip him for her. If he entered the church she knew his hunger was only for her. She was standing on the rafters over the altar, a shield charm keeping him from getting to her before she could get away. If he entered the church she'd go to Harry's, figure out a plan there. Hopefully if the vampire thought he could never get to her he would give up and move on without killing half her neighborhood. In the dark and the cold her ears were picking up every small noise, and her heart stopped as the doorknob squeaked as it started to turn.

* * *

She was nervous, he practically tell that without using his Empath abilities. But as he passed a car parked on the side of the road he felt her nervousness turn into terror. For a moment he thought she discovered she was being followed, but how would she have done it? She hadn't turned around, and he saw no mirror or anything that would allow her to see behind her. She had done a rather peculiar movement with her arm, but that couldn't cause one to see behind them, could it?

He knew there was something different about this girl, something he couldn't put his finger on. She and her friend had talked about 'Apparating', whatever that was. Possibly some new slang term for something, he didn't know. And it didn't matter, whatever it was she chose walking over it, making it infinitely easier for him to follow her. He decided to hold off the kill until she was in her house. There would be no possibility of someone else seeing, and disposal of the body would be much easier. No one had ever questioned that a person as depressed as she would commit suicide.

She was walking more quickly now, and she turned. They had mentioned three blocks, so she must be close to home, where she would feel safe and settle into her nighttime routine. Just a little longer, he told the monster screaming for her blood inside him. Wait until it's easier. Then I can savor the moment.

She turned again, and he lost sight of her. He sped to a jog, then turned around the bushes she had just walked behind.

Nothing.

He growled as his eyes swept the area. There was a lone man, garage door open, bent over the open hood of his car, but no sign of the girl. He inhaled deeply, and caught just a trace of her scent. It as coming from the church next to him. He smiled. She had picked quite an interesting place for her final moments.

Fighting his muscles to keep his movements human-like he walked to the door of the church and turned the knob. It was locked, but with a quick flex to his muscle the lock gave and he was able to open the door. He stepped inside, her scent overpowering him, and closed the door behind him. He scanned the room, and didn't see her. But he heard her breathing heavily, and looked up towards the roof.

"Thought you could hide up there, did you?" he purred, stepping towards her, but he was shocked when, as he neared the alter, an invisible force stopped him from moving any closer.

"I _knew_ I could hide up here," she said confidently.

"Quite a little trick you have here," he muttered, running his hand on the unseen barrier, and looking up at her. It was then he saw the stick clutched, white-knuckled, in her hand.

"I've got several tricks," she replied.

"All contained in that wand, _witch_?" he sneered.

"It hasn't failed me yet," she replied, her voice shaking slightly. "Why did you follow me in here? That man outside was a much easier kill."

"It would be hard for you to understand, _la mia cantante_," he smiled.

"Your singer?" her brow furrowed. "What does that mean?"

"It means your blood calls to me in a way I can't resist. It means I will continue to hunt you, even if you use your magic and run right now. I know which neighborhood you live in, and I will patrol it until I find where you live. Even if you have protection up against me, because one day you will slip up. It might be tomorrow, it might be ninety years from now, but _everyone_ slips up. And if you decide not to return home I will search this country for you until I find you. Or your companion, who I will get to tell me where you live, and then kill for my trouble. I _will_ kill you, my dear. I cannot rest until I've tasted what your smell has promised me."

"You leave Harry out of this," she whispered. "He's done nothing."

"And yet, he's my only source of information on where you might be. He seems to care enough about you to know at least the general information as to your whereabouts. I'll keep him around until I find you, then his usefulness is over and I'll dispose of him."

"No," she whispered, a tear running down her face.

"If you care about him so, why don't you come down here? I promise I'll make it quick and painless. It will be like going to sleep," he said, testing his abilities through her shield, trying to calm her.

"What are you doing?" she hissed, fighting back against his calming sense, feeling more terrified than ever. "Stop that!"

"Ah, so your protections can't keep everything out," he smirked, satisfied he had the upper hand in something, though a little unsettled that she recognized his attempts.

"I want to live," she said firmly.

"And I will wait. Even if it means I have to take you on your deathbed, my dear, I will have you."

There was a noise behind the altar, and he looked down towards it. Realizing his mistake he glanced back at the rafters, but the girl was gone. He swore lightly as an elderly Vicar, wearing a dressing gown and carrying a lantern, emerged into the church.

"What are you doing here so late, son?" he asked as he approached the vampire.

"I thought I could find something here, but as always, what I need eludes the grasp of one such as me," he grumbled, turning to go, but the man's hand was on his arm.

"He eludes no one who searches for Him. What is it you seek, son?" he asked gently.

He sighed. It was late, and the girl deprived him of his meal and left him screaming for something to satisfy, though nothing would as well as her. He would need his strength in his hunt for her, he knew that, and shouldn't deprive himself of an easy meal just yet.

"Do me a favor, Father," he muttered, turning back towards the man, who suddenly looked in terror as the lantern light caught the crimson in his eyes. "Pray. Pray for your soul, for I do not wish to send you to Heaven without a final talk with God."

The man dropped the lantern and turned to run, but found his way blocked by Jasper. He turned the other way, but was blocked again. Backing toward the altar the man started stumbling through the Lords Prayer. Jasper let him finish, and as his 'Amen' was dying around the room, attacked.


	3. Haunted

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story so far. It is going to be a little more dark than what I normally write. I've gotten a couple requests to make this a romance, and with a little tweaking I can make it go that way. And, for those of you who are fans, it means that this story will go on much longer than I expected it to. It was a five-chapter story the way I outlined it, but if I make it a romance it will be much longer than that. But I will make note where I originally intended to end the story so if you don't want any romantic-type interactions you can stop. No decision yet if I'm going to make it 'm' or not, jury is still out on that. I'll let you know once I get more of my outline detailed.**

**I also got a request for a little more background on each of the characters. I put a bit of Hermione's past in a dream-sequence thing, but it'll be a while before everything comes on the table. Any questions, PM me or ask me to clarify in my AN, and I'll do it.**

**Oh, and Soul-of-Innocence, if you're reading this, I haven't abandoned you. You turned off you PM so I can't respond to you. Normally I wouldn't do this via story, and I'll take this down if I get a response, but I literally have no other way to contact you.**

**So, enjoy and please review!**

* * *

"Hermione!" Harry's worried voice came into focus as the world swam around her. She took a few deep breaths, and felt herself being lifted up by the shoulders. She hadn't even realized she had collapsed on the floor the moment her feet made contact with the front hallway of Number Twelve. She had been bent over, her face a fraction of an inch from the floor, and Harry, looking terrified, was trying to push her into a sitting position.

"Hermione!" he repeated his desperate call, and suddenly a red-haired woman was next to him, holding a cold, wet towel, which was immediately pressed to her forehead. "Are you alright?"

What a question. One that could be answered in so many ways. Yes, physically I am alright. No, I'm not alright, I just had a vampire vow to hunt me down until he kills me.

"What the hell happened?" Ginny's voice asked, bringing her closer to the surface of the air she felt like she was drowning in.

"I was followed," she managed to gasp between deep breaths. "After we left the club. I was followed. By a vampire."

"A vampire?" they said in horrified unison. Immediately Harry's fingers were running all over her skin, checking places her modesty shouldn't allow him to check, looking for the tell-tale bite mark that she was pretty sure wasn't there. That vampire hadn't managed to bite her, had he? He had some kind of weird power, she wanted to feel calm when she was around him, but with a little effort she put up a shield and felt scared, as one who was about to be killed should feel.

"He didn't get me," she managed, the room finally coming into focus. "I realized he was following me and I got out of there. I thought it would be safer coming here rather than going home."

"Good idea," Harry muttered. "You can stay here until you feel safe."

She inadvertently snorted. The vampire had vowed to kill her. She would have to do what Sirius did, live the life of a recluse imprisoned inside Number 12 to keep safe, but she would never 'feel safe', not as long as she was afraid for Harry's life as well.

"I just need to spend the night," she muttered, allowing him to help her to her feet.

"Of course. Anytime. The room you and Ginny shared is still ready for you," he said, throwing an arm around her and helping her towards the stairs.

There was a gust of wind, and somewhere something knocked against a window, causing her to jump.

"Are you sure you're okay, 'Mione?" Ginny asked. "Is there anything we can get you?"

"I'll be fine," she lied, trying to continue to fight back the wave of tears that was threatening to take over at any moment. She allowed Harry to half-drag her up the stairs to the room, where she sat, shaking, on the side of the bed. Harry stood over her, looking nervous.

"Are you sure everything is okay? We have a calming draught..."

"No," she interrupted, shaking her head. "I'm fine."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Is there something else, 'Mione? You look like something is really bothering you."

"I'm just really shaken up. He got really close," she replied in a low murmur.

"You can tell me anything," he said softly.

"Really. I'm fine," she assured him with a false smile.

"Right," he muttered, crossing to the door. "Sleep well, Hermione."

"'Night, Harry," she said as he left and closed the door. She curled up on the bed, still wide awake. She hadn't told Harry everything because she didn't want to worry him. He was young, he was in love, and he and Ginny didn't need to know that there was a crazed vampire who was willing to kill him to get to her. She wouldn't let it get that far. The next day she would go, gather a few things, and make a run for it. She'd try to make sure the vampire saw her leaving so Harry would be safe. With any luck she'd lure him far enough away that when she started making big jumps he wouldn't go back to Harry to find out where she might be.

There was a tiny part of her, and she hated that part, that almost wanted the vampire to get her. It would be the end of a long, painful journey. By now she had been hoping for a stable relationship with Ron, had wanted to bring her parents back, and to have a decent job. She was oh-for-three on that count, with no prospects of bringing herself out of her current hole. But one couldn't expect to lose the man they love and their parents in a short period of time and not be a little depressed, right?

No, she wanted to live. It would take time to get out of the hole, but she was determined to do it. She would outrun this vampire, give him some false leads to follow, then come back to England and make sure she never went anywhere without some form of protection. Maybe she'd take a few courses with the Vampire Hunters to know how to keep herself alive.

She realized quickly that her plan would have to be altered a bit. It was too much of a risk to go back inside her house. By now there's a good chance that he found it, and while it would seem almost expected to sit in wait in her room or something, it would be the best way to catch her. Until she was sure that he was too far away from her house to make it back she wouldn't risk even a short trip.

After spending a couple hours perfecting her escape plan in her head she finally managed to drift off to sleep.

_"Hermione!" Ron's voice called as she jumped out of the way of Fenrir Greyback and threw a panicked spell at the werewolf._

_"Run, Ron!" she shouted, darting up the stairs, hurling another curse at Greyback. This one hit its mark, causing him to topple back over the side of the banister. Her legs brought her to the top of the stairs before she chanced a look back at what she had done, and when she did her blood went cold. Greyback had abandoned her for a much easier prey- Ron. Ron was doing his best to hurl curse after curse at the advancing werewolf, but Greyback ducked each one. She aimed a curse at him, but was knocked to the side by a retreating group of Ravenclaw students. By the time she recovered and aimed another curse it was too late. Ron lay dead at the bottom of the stairs. But instead of trying to find Greyback to hurl the killing curse that finished him off for the umpteenth time, as she always did when she replayed the scene in her dream, she found herself looking down at the crimson eyes of the honey-blonde vampire. And he had more than just Ron's mangled body at his feet. The bodies of her parents, Lupin, Sirius, Tonks, Fred... all the casualties of the war she had to deal with were strewn at his feet, each with a single bite mark on their necks. He beckoned to her, and, terrified, she backed away. The vampire opened it's mouth, and in Bellatrix's loud screech he shouted '_Crucio_!' and she fell to the floor in pain._

She awoke, face buried in her pillow to smother her scream. If Harry had heard her he didn't come investigate. Hermione waking up screaming in the middle of the night was nothing new anymore.

* * *

After finishing the Vicar and carefully placing his body Jasper wandered the neighborhood, trusting his nose to lead him to the place she wouldn't lead him to. Figuring that once she realized he was following her she would have turned away from where she lived he doubled back the way they had come and followed the same road. One block off where they had turned he found it- a modest, two-story home much like the ones next to it, but this one smelled faintly of her. Looking both ways, and seeing no one watching him, he casually strolled up to the door. There were no wards, and this surprised him. Perhaps she had gotten somewhat complacent, or perhaps she was giving up. Interesting.

Quick as a flash he broke the lock and let himself in. She was certainly not here, but he hadn't expected her to be. He would have been somewhat disappointed if she had been. He closed the door behind him and looked around. It looked as though a family lived here, at least long ago. There were no other scents, she was alone in this place. Perhaps part of the reason she was so sad?

A ginger cat hissed at him from under the table, but wouldn't come any closer. Ugh, what an ugly little thing. It looked as if someone had kicked his face in. He growled back and the thing ran off. How stereotypical. A lonely, depressed woman having a cat. Generally she would need to be about twenty years older to fit the general stereotype, but she could be forgiven.

He meandered slowly through the house. Everything was immaculate. The kitchen was sparkling and well-stocked with food that looked like it would probably never be cooked. A dining room that was kept clean, despite the fact that it probably hadn't been used in months, maybe years. On the coffee table in the sitting room was a stack of books. He picked them up and looked them over.

Much to his surprise there was a picture of her on each cover. None of them had been opened, several even had little notes stuck to the front cover. The Golden Trio. The Rise and Fall of the Dark Lord. But it was the one on the bottom that had him most intrigued. An Unofficial Biography of Hermione Granger. Hers was the only picture on this one, moving towards the edge of the cover as if it didn't want to be there. Hermione Granger, it was a beautiful name in it's own way. And, now that he could see the girl without thinking of killing her he could tell she was quite pretty in her own way. He stared at the cover, memorizing every part of her he could. Yes, her hair was a bit bushy, and the picture didn't show the depth of emotions behind her eyes, but there was something about her...

For a moment he thought that _not_ killing her messed with his brain. The picture suddenly changed, just for a moment. Her skin was marble white, her hair was soft and wavy, her face strong and beautiful, her eyes a vivid crimson. He blinked in shock and the image was gone. Resisting blood must mess with ones brain.

He replaced the books exactly where they had been and walked up the stairs. Despite the fact that she obviously didn't live with her parents it seemed as though she preferred to stay in one of the smaller bedrooms. The master bedroom had a large bed with closets and vanities mostly full of things. Wherever her parents were they left in a hurry. Her room was adorned in red and gold banners and filled to the breaking point with all sorts of books. There was also a small closet, and he smirked looking at it. How cliché would it be for him to sit in wait in its depths? No, he would be more sporting with that. No reason he couldn't have a little fun on this hunt. Besides that damn cat was following him around the house, and for some reason the damn thing seemed as if were analyzing him. He made sure everything in the house was exactly the way it was when he entered and, bidding the cat adieu with a final hiss, left and started running towards the abandoned house he was staying in, trying to outrun the rising sun.


	4. Unsuspected Allies

**A/N: I know I'm updating this more often than my others, but I gave the first five chapters of this to my unofficial beta (aka my good friend since high school, the one who required 'Just For Fun' as payment) and she's reading them over and sending them back. I'm promising myself I will not update until I get 'This Isn't Happening' updated, probably 'Awake', too, since I've been neglecting them. Ah, the holidays. Makes me want to pull my hair out.**

**Thanks to everyone who has reviewed. I'm glad you're liking this. I have found a way to write the Cullens into this, and in a slightly-tweaked canon sort of way. Of course, to do it that way I have to write Alice in. So the question now is whether or not to give her a mate, and if so, who.**

**Sorry. Babbling in type. Sleep deprivation does that. Enjoy, and please review.**

* * *

"Hermione? Hermione? _Granger_!" a voice called her, and it wasn't until the third repeat of her name that she realized that she was being summoned. She hadn't made her run yet, she was too afraid to get close enough to let the vampire catch a scent of her, but her nights hadn't gotten any more calming, and she could only count on two or three hours a sleep a night.

"Sorry, what?" she said, turning to the source of the voice. Draco Malfoy was standing at the end of a stack of books, arms crossed, staring at her. They had both taken jobs with the same Wizard-solicitor doing research, Hermione because it was something that kept her busy but not thinking for several hours a day, Draco because the Dark Mark on his arm prevented employment in most fields even with Harry testifying for him. Their boss was an old friend of the family and let Draco take the job as a favor once he had repented publicly for joining the Death Eaters.

"Closing time. You were due to leave two hours ago," he said, striding over to her and sitting uncomfortably close to her. She moved her body so she wasn't facing him directly. For a couple months now Draco had been showing signs of being interested in her, but old wounds ran deep. She wasn't completely over Ron, and while she could attribute his constant taunts of 'Mudblood' to his father's influence that doesn't mean she forgot easily.

"I know, I'm off the clock," she said, closing the book in front of her.

"Vampires: A to Z," he read, looking at the title of the book. "I didn't know we had a case dealing with a vampire."

"We don't," she muttered, shoving the book into a pile sitting next to her. "It's a side project."

"I didn't think you'd be the type to go tangling with vampires," he smirked, pulling another book, A Year With Vampires, from the top of her stack.

"I'm not tangling with vampires," she said, grabbing the stack of books and heading for the stacks to re-shelve them.

"Then why the sudden interest?" he asked, following her.

"Just because I'm not tangling with them doesn't mean one isn't tangling with _me_," she muttered, not meaning for him to hear it, but unfortunately he did.

"You're being hunted by a vampire?" he asked, cutting her off.

"I may have run into one," she muttered, shelving a couple books.

"When? Where?"

"Saturday night, as I was walking home from the club. I realized I was being followed, and I led him into a church. He followed me inside, but I got away."

"Was it that church the Muggles found the Vicar dead in?" he asked.

"Yeah. He must have taken the Vicar instead of me," she swallowed hard. Hearing the news and knowing it was she who led the Vampire to the church had been difficult to deal with.

"But, that should be it, right? Vampires aren't known for stalking for days on end, unless..." he trailed off in thought for a moment. "Did you talk to him at all?"

"Yeah, a little," she shrugged.

"Did he use a phrase, an Italian phrase, when talking to you?" he asked quickly now looking nervous.

"Yeah," she whispered, stomach dropping as she remembered his enticing voice wrapping around the words, making them sound like one of the most beautiful phrases she had ever heard, despite the deadliness behind them. "_La mia cantante_."

He sighed, and stopped her from putting Vampires: A to Z back on the shelf. "You might need that. Do you have wards on your house?"

"Some," she said. "But I wasn't expecting a vampire attack. I haven't been back to my house since it happened. I've been staying at Harry's."

"Good plan, for now. You do realize the situation you're in, right?"

"I know. He told me he was going to kill me, no matter what it takes."

He placed a comforting arm around her, but it provided no relief.

"How do you know so much about vampires?" she asked.

"Once the Death Eaters took Hogwarts Father was supposed to go to Volterra to convince the Volturi, a vampire clan that lives there, to join our side. He had me doing all sorts of research to help keep him alive. The Volturi's chamber isn't exactly a place most people walk out of with a pulse. It was a fools errand, since obviously it never happened," he added bitterly. Hermione had heard about the bad blood that was flowing between Draco and Lucius. The elder Malfoy had managed to slip out of Azkaban again with some charitable donations and some sweet talking, and when it was announced he had managed to escape a sentence again father and son had a blowup, with Draco grabbing what he could and getting out. They had both started their job the next week, and had slowly become friendly towards each other.

"I'm staying at Harry's for a while," she muttered. "But he saw us together, and has vowed to kill him if he can't get to me."

"If you need a place to stay..." he started.

"Draco..." she groaned, pulling away from him.

"...I have a couch open," he finished with a smirk.

She smiled, the first real smile that had crossed her lips in days. "If Harry gets annoyed with me hanging around, I might just take that offer."

"I'm assuming you haven't been back, considering you're wearing Ginny Weasley's clothes," he said, eying her.

She looked down at her outfit, which was a couple inches too short. She had been too terrified to go back to the house, but didn't want to wear her club outfit to work. Ginny had lent her an assortment of things, until she had a chance to go back to her house or buy new things. "Yeah. I'm sure he knows where I live by now. I'm afraid he's waiting for me."

"It's still light out, for another half hour or so. _Homenum Revelio_ works to detect non-magical part-humans. Do you want me to go with?"

She thought about it. She really didn't want to go back to that house, but if she stayed out in the sun where the neighbors might notice sparkling skin and carefully cast the spell she should be able to see if he was there and quickly grab a few things. "I can handle it by myself," she muttered.

"Are you sure? I want to make sure you're safe."

"Yeah. I'm sure. Night, ferret," she said with a half-hearted smile.

"Night, big-tooth," he replied with a smile. "I'll keep the Floo open if you need it."

"Yeah, thanks," she muttered as he stepped into the fireplace. She took a few moments to take some calming breaths, then Apparated to an alley near her house. She darted through backyards, heart pounding, until she vaulted the fence onto her own property. She crouched behind a play house, checked to make sure the coast was clear, and cast the spell.

Nothing happened.

Shaking she stepped towards the house. It took all her willpower to force herself to open the door, and she jumped back in shock as something pounced at her the moment there was a crack in the door.

"Crookshanks!" she shouted, fighting for breath. "Don't scare me like that!"

The cat, purring furiously, attempted to climb up her leg.

"Is it safe?" she muttered picking up the cat. Something about the yellow eyes was reassuring. Crookshanks was never this calm when there was someone unsavory around. She hurried inside, slamming the door as she waved her wand reinforcing her wards, but she paused mid-spell. Despite the fact that she had been gone several days Crookshanks food and water bowls were completely full.

"Did Ms. Walsh let herself in to feed you?" she asked the cat, beyond hope that it might actually be true. Crookshanks cocked his head, looking at her like the answer should be obvious. She finished casting the spells, then stashed her wand as she ran for the cupboard.

"Let me get your stuff together, Crookshanks," she muttered, the talking making her feel more calm. "You're going to come stay with me at Harry and Ginny's." She got his food and his bowls together, stashed them in his basket. She ran to the stairs, but stopped as she saw something outside. Turning, blood running cold, she turned towards the sitting room window. There was nothing there, but she could have sworn a moment before there was a pair of deep crimson eyes watching her. He was really messing with her head.

She threw herself up the stairs, and grabbed whatever she could shove in her small beaded bag in under a minute. Coming here without someone seemed suicidal now. But if the vampire had been around someone else probably would have been only good for leaving a second body. She fumbled closing the bag, threw it over her shoulder, Apparated downstairs and gathered Crookshanks basket. The cat was not pleased when she forced him in using a Summoning charm, and after grabbing her important papers from the safe in the closet she headed towards her car. Her drivers license was there, and she wanted to grab it before she went, it might make running a little easier if it came to that.

"Oh, Hermione!" her next-door neighbor, Ms. Walsh called. "You're back."

"Back?" she asked blithely.

"Yes. That nice young man of yours has been stopping by every night, right after sundown. Says you took an impromptu trip, and that someone had to feed your cat. Quite the handsome boy, I'll say. And he seems very anxious for your return."

Her heart had nearly stopped at the elderly woman's words. "He's been here every night?" she asked through her dry mouth.

"Oh, yes," she smiled. "Started showing up the night that Vicar got murdered. I've seen him going in, but didn't see him leaving, but like clockwork, as soon as the sun is down he's back on your porch. Talked to him last night as I was bringing in my shopping. Thought you had him visiting for a little extra protection. I wouldn't mind having a nice young man like that helping me out until the neighborhood is safe again," she added with a wink.

"What did he say?"

"Oh, I asked how long he had known you, what he thinks of you, everything your dear parents would be asking of a gentleman caller if they were still around. Thought someone should be looking out for you. He seems quite smitten, talks very expectantly about seeing you again." She looked around. "Sun's almost down, he should be here any minute now."

"T..th...that's my phone," she stuttered, stumbling back towards the house. Pausing only to slam the front door she grabbed her things and Disapparated back to Harry's.

* * *

The girl was good, he would give her that. He carefully wandered about throughout the day and parts of the night, keeping in the shadows, but he couldn't catch a scent of her or her companion anywhere. Not that he expected to. He thought he had caught something on a desolate little street with a rather odd numbering system to the buildings lining it. Right where number Twelve should be he thought he caught a whiff of her, but it was gone in an instant. Another thing messing with his head. Why did his singer have to be a damn witch?

At night he returned to her house, but she had never come back. It was only that ugly orange cat greeting him with a hiss or a growl. While making his soon-to-be customary lap of the house on the third night he had realized that the annoyance was out of food and water, so he rummaged in her cupboard for a tin of cat food and filled the water bowl. Didn't cause the thing to trust him any more, but for some reason he was coming slightly attached to the little fur-ball. Maybe it was a reminder that she would eventually having to return to the house. And so he would return every night until he was sure she was gone for good.

His spirits were lighter. About an hour before the sun rose he came across some grubby little man stumbling down the street. Thinking that he was getting thirsty, and this man was an easy target, he offered to help the man home, making sure to keep a hand on his shoulders. The drunken man said, in a very thick accent, that he was from out of town and visiting the area, but he appreciated help back to his inn. There was no good time to kill the man, every road they turned on was crowded, every alley they passed occupied. Unexpectedly the man turned into what looked like the wall just past a bookstore. Without realizing it the foreign wizard had just led him into the Leaky Cauldron. He let the man stumble upstairs as he looked around. An unattractive middle-aged witch beckoned to him, obviously not the smartest lot, but those still drinking at five in the morning never really were.

"What's a handsome man like you wandering alone at this hour?" she asked, leaning in and batting her eyelashes caked in mascara.

"New to the area," he smiled back. "Just looking for a friendly face."

"American? Which school did you go to?" she flashed a smile full of crooked teeth.

"I was home-schooled," he shrugged, smiling back with his set of perfect pearly white teeth. "Mom and Dad didn't trust the system too much. You know how it is, men like Voldemort running around." He threw out the name of the evil wizard he had read in An Unofficial Biography of Hermione Granger.

She shuddered at the name. "I remember a time you couldn't walk down Diagon Alley without seeing one of them wandering around," she whispered, motioning with a thumb at the entrance behind her. "And I thought I would go crazy the day Florean Fortescue's place shut down."

"So the shops are right back there?" he asked, looking at the place she had indicated.

"Yeah. Tap the brick with your wand. Three up, two across," she made a hand motion with a hiccup.

"So," he said, leaning close and putting a distinctively sultry inflection in his smooth Southern accent. "What is a woman like you doing here alone at this hour?"

"Waiting for that handsome wizard who never seems to come," she said, batting her eyes at him.

"Do you live nearby?" he asked with a quick glance at the window at the lightening sky. He had maybe a half hour before the sun rose and would blow his not-so-clever ruse.

"Three blocks. Care to escort me?" she giggled like a girl thirty years younger. "I heard there may be a vampire in the area."

"After you, ma'am," he said, bowing slightly as she stumbled towards the door. It would be too easy, and she would not be missed for a while. And then he could start reading An Unofficial Biography again. The more he read about his singer, his Hermione, the more he craved to see her again. Though he would be sad when he finally killed her. A loss, but one that promised to be very satisfying.


	5. An Offer to Refuse

**A/N: My resolution was to update something before the new year. The next chapter of 'Awake' is half done, I'm not sure if I'm happy with it at the moment. But I knew exactly where I wanted to be with this one, and so here you go. A little update for fun, now with Hermione/Jasper interaction!**

**Enjoy and please resolve to leave me a review. Happy New Year! I'm going to try to get some more work done, but I promise I'm going to be celebrating National Hangover Day on the first, so it might be a couple days ;)**

* * *

The now-worn looking book was sitting in his lap, the final page flapping lightly in the breeze from the open window. He couldn't explain his now daily ritual of reading the book cover to cover. He could practically recite the thing from memory. Slowly he closed the book and stared at the front cover, and her face stared back at him. For weeks he had been trying to get to her, to no avail. His daily stakeouts of Diagon Alley, which he could enter now that he knew the entrance and had the pilfered wand to tap the correct brick with. But no matter how many days he spent looking for her in the busy shop area she never showed up.

It wasn't fair. She was taunting him, and she didn't even have to see him to do it. His eyes glanced out the window. The last slivers of light were disappearing over the horizon. It was time. He stood and walked out of the house.

The streets were filled with stragglers returning from work, kids playing with their watchful parents nearby, teenagers hanging out in packs.

"Halloween's not for two more weeks, mister," a teen-aged boy called after him to the cackles of his three friends, but Jasper decided it was best not to respond. How quickly he could teach the group a lesson, teach them that monsters were real and wandering the streets, but that would be wasteful.

As he reached her house he reached across the short fence and ran his hand across the invisible barrier that prevented him from making his usual round through the house anymore. She was now back to living in the house, she couldn't cast spells that made the house disappear, too many of her neighbors would have noticed, so he could occasionally see her through the windows. But never get closer. It was torture, a starving man staring through a window at a plate of his favorite food, always blocked by that glass barrier.

One night she looked out of her window while he was watching her, just outside the barrier, leaning back against her gate. A feeling spread through him when her terrified eyes locked onto his, nothing he could ever describe. He felt a longing, deep in his soul, and for a fleeting moment he realized the wave of emotion had nothing to do with wanting to kill her.

That night he left his vigil early. The reaction had given him much to think about. His constant watch could be chalked up to her scent, but not the incessant soliloquy that was keeping itself up in his head. He was starting to wonder if he was keeping his sanity as close as he had thought.

The visions came during the day, while he was waiting in the alley or while he was sitting alone in the abandoned house, staring at pictures of her in the book. He would see her walking down the street, but it wasn't her, at least not the 'her' he was searching for. She was beautiful, white-skinned, crimson eyed. The first time he had the vision he thought he was going crazy, now he wasn't wondering if his subconscious wasn't giving him a very direct hint that he wanted something from the girl besides the taste of her blood on his tongue.

But would he be able to do it? When he finally got what he had been hunting for weeks would he be able to deny himself? Maybe, if he could keep enough of himself about him to realize _who_ he had and not what he was tasting he might... but he was certainly not ready for that just yet. He could train himself, train to concentrate one something besides the taste and feeling of blood in his mouth, but it would take time. He would certainly not be able to while so close to his target. Maybe if he could spend some time with another, another who had done it, it might be easier.

Just after noon he donned the stolen cloak and gloves that were now part of his daily wardrobe, something that allowed him to move in the sunlight but still fit in while in Diagon Alley, and headed towards the wizarding shops. He had given himself a deadline of Halloween. If she hadn't appeared in the alley by then he would move on, try to find her somewhere different. They always slip up.

* * *

The day was unseasonably nice, so Hermione decided to forgo her usual trip straight home from work and stop at Florean Fortescue's for a bit of a treat. She left the dark, dank little office with a quick wave at Draco, who she was now avoiding as much as possible. Three days before he had asked her to Harry's Halloween party and turned on the infamous Malfoy charm. To her credit she had resisted for forty five minutes before finally giving in. As much as she told herself it was to shut him up she could have easily done that by threatening to hex him. Malfoy was persistent, but he knew when to back off. She said yes because she wanted to feel wanted, to feel desired by someone. She had gone so long without, always in 'mourning' for Ron, that she was starting to feel comfortable with the thought of seeing someone again.

Though she didn't want to admit it, the credit for this sudden change of heart had to be given to the unnamed vampire, the one that had kept her from her home until she had hired a couple of professional vampire hunters help her put up wards around her house. She was now up to four, sometimes five hours a night of sleep. The vampire had tried to get in, but the wards held. She had seen him once, standing by the gate in her backyard, staring up at her with his haunting crimson eyes. He could see her, he waved, but he couldn't get any closer. He looked just as tortured as she.

So when she told herself that she wanted to feel desired by someone, she had to add the mental addendum that she wanted to have someone have a desire for her that didn't end in her death.

She was enjoying the daylight. It was her sanctuary. The vampire could come out in it, but not without exposing himself. And she had the additional sanctuary of Diagon Alley. In the magical world she was safe. He couldn't get in, and even if he could there were dozens of people who could help her, and without worry of exposing their world.

She ordered a small sundae and a tea and sat in a table under a small awning. She opened her copy of the Daily Prophet and relaxed a little in her seat.

"Is this seat taken, ma'am?"

Her blood froze when she heard the soft Southern drawl. Hands shaking uncontrollably she lowered her paper. Without waiting for her answer he had taken the seat across from her. An ancient looking cloak was around his shoulders, the hood pulled up to keep his skin out of the sun. He reminded her of Lucius Malfoy, dressed impeccably, a single gloved hand resting on her wrist, smirk across his face. She shuddered at the thought.

"Miss me?" he purred.

"H..h...h...how?" she stammered.

He opened the cloak slightly, pulling a wand into view then stashing it again. "Apparently the wall doesn't require much magic in the person holding it. A simple tap with any wand apparently suffices."

She stared at the spot where the wand had been, breathing heavily.

"She was a desperate little witch," he murmured. "And was too far gone to realize that she was consorting with a vampire. I wasn't particularly thirsty, and she didn't smell very appetizing, but she did provide me with an invaluable tool. I've been waiting for you to appear in this alley. I think every other person in wizarding England has been through here."

"Harry..." she whispered, mouth going dry.

"Was here, yes, but I didn't follow him other than to see if he was going to meet up with you. I was disappointed. I had almost given up on you coming here, but I guess patience does pay off on occasion."

"No one noticed a vampire in the middle of Diagon Alley?" she said, close to tears.

"Please, my dear, calm down," he said, and a feeling of calm passed over her. She shook it off, but it took a considerable amount of her willpower. "I'm not going to kill you here in the middle of all these shops."

"You're not?" she asked in surprise.

"No," he chuckled. "I merely wished to talk to you."

"About what?" she asked.

"I have a deal I wish to propose to you."

"Deal?" she was shocked and confused. He had all the power right now. She couldn't Apparate, she'd take him with her. Any curse she could use on him would bounce right off his skin. He could kill her right there and be gone before anyone realized there was a dead body. If he wanted to take his time he could drag her to a dark alley and his ability would prevent anyone feeling tense enough about the situation to do something about it. She was a dead woman, and he wanted to talk deal?

"Yes. As much as your scent intoxicates me right now, as hard as it is to not take what I want, I find that there is... something that I am wanting more," his eyes raised to hers, and she felt his gaze piercing through her.

"More?" she was even more confused, tears still trickling down her face.

"You are a fascinating woman, Hermione. I have read the biography of you dozens of times. You are a strong soul, a beautiful woman, and I am wanting to do something extremely selfish."

She could feel the confused, blank stare flooding over her face.

His hand moved to cup her face. "I want _you_, Hermione. But I can't do it while you're human. I don't have the strength to resist you for long. "

"I don't understand," she said, so quietly she wasn't sure they had even come from her lips.

"It is quite selfish of me, and I'd hope after a few years you would be able to forgive me. I don't want to lose you, the world would be much worse off without you. So to save you, I'd have to turn you."

"Turn me?" she gasped as she came to the realization. "No! I don't want to be like you!"

"You want to die?" his eyebrow arched perfectly.

"Of course I don't!" she said, her voice rising in her near hysteria. He looked like he was concentrating, and in her sudden flare of emotions she was unable to hold him back. She stopped crying and became slightly less tense. "I don't want to die, but your solution is almost worse!"

"It is, of course, your option," he shrugged. "My original offer was going to be that I leave for five years. I work up my resistance, my control, and I return in five years ready to do my best to change you and not kill you. But if you don't want to become one, I guess my little hunt can continue."

"So in five years I'm just supposed to be sitting around, waiting for you?"

"I'm offering five worry-free years. I promise I won't return until then. You can have some of the prime years of your life, enjoy your time with your friends, find a lover, whatever you wish. But after those five years you're mine."

She studied him, his beautiful, pale features, felt his stony skin against hers, saw the vivid red of a recent meal- the thought nearly made her shudder- reflected in his eyes. She tried to picture herself with the same features, but couldn't. Death or vampire? Which would be worse?

"Why five years?" she whispered. "Why can't I just call you when I'm on my deathbed or something? It's not like you don't have time."

"How could I hold you to that while I'm traveling? I have things I want to do, and I know how long witches and wizards live. I have patience, but not one hundred and fifty years worth. Five is all I'm willing to spare."

"I've evaded you this long, I can keep going," she said, trying to sound brave.

"Your choice, my dear," he shrugged. He leaned towards her, and she suddenly panicked. She tried to push him away, but he kept coming. She closed her eyes, praying, convinced she was about to feel his teeth sink into her flesh at any moment.

It didn't happen. Instead his lips gently met her cheek, held for a second or two, then he pulled away and stood up.

"I have more strength than I thought. I told you I wasn't going to kill you here," he smirked before turning and disappearing into the crowd. Hands fumbling in her haste she threw a couple coins on the table and Disapparated.


	6. Time to Stop Running

**A/N: I was too excited not to write this. I had to get it done. I've added two quotes from the 'Creepy Quotes Challenge' by imdeadsothere on HPFC. I've underlined them. **

**Enjoy, and please review!**

* * *

She jumped when the doorbell rang. She hadn't told anyone about her meeting with the vampire in Diagon Alley, but everyone had noticed a definite downswing in her mood and disconcerting change in her nature. She was back to getting little to no sleep, she was constantly looking over her shoulder, and she jumped at the slightest touches, sounds, or movements. Though they hadn't made any plans, Ginny, Harry, and George had all talked about committing her to St. Mungos.

Draco had also noticed these, and had redoubled his efforts to spend time with her. He finished his research on a case in record time so he could help her. He had gone to work the Saturday morning of the party, expecting to find her there, but she hadn't gone in, which was odd. His stomach had sunk, and it didn't rise again until he stepped out of her Floo.

"Hermione?" he called into the empty looking house.

"Coming," she called, her footsteps rushing down the stairs.

"Hey, ginger," he muttered at Crookshanks, who was winding his way around the bottom of his legs. He looked up as Hermione entered the room and let out a little laugh.

"What?" she asked.

"Aren't you supposed to dress like something you aren't for Halloween?" he chuckled, eying the witch costume she was wearing.

"Real witches don't wear this," she smiled, flattening out the dress. "And what are you supposed to be?"

"A Muggle doctor," he said, looking down at the vivid orange lab coat and bright pink scrubs.

"Allow me," she chuckled, flicking her wand and changing the scrubs to a soft blue and the coat white.

"I knew it didn't look right. Last time I trust George Weasley to provide me with a Halloween costume."

She laughed, and he suddenly felt much calmer about the whole situation, almost silly that he had felt worried about her in the first place. But that feeling suddenly disappeared when he saw the scowling face of a man standing outside in the alley behind her house. He was standing just outside the fence, staring angrily at Draco with angry red eyes.

"Who the hell is that?" he gasped.

"Oh, that," she muttered, wrenching her curtains shut. "It's nothing, really."

"Is that the vampire who you've been having problems with?"

"Don't worry about it. He can't get in, he doesn't know where I work, I'm safe."

"For now. You hadn't mentioned him in a while. I thought he was history," he said with a frown.

"I said don't worry about it. I'm not." He wasn't convinced but she was already dragging him towards the Floo.

"Do you want me to go out there and tell him to make himself useful?" he asked.

"No I don't! You could get killed! And what do you mean 'make himself useful'?"

"I was going to give him directions to the Manor."

"I know you're no fan of your father, but to sic a vampire on him..."

"Hermione, my father was the reason I was the way I was at Hogwarts. He sweet talks his way out of prison, I'm sure you remember what he did to you, he cheats constantly on my Mum, the man needs to be wiped off the face of the Earth." There was no hint of humor in his voice.

She decided not to argue. They stepped into the fireplace without another word and emerged in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place.

"Hermione!" Ginny smiled as Hermione brushed ash off the tall, pointed hat she was wearing. "Nice costume."

"You, too," Hermione said, eying the snakes curling around her head where her hair had been.

"They won't stop hissing," she grumbled. "But it looks pretty cool. Harry said he was only going to wear a toga, and I thought one of us should go for the gold. Hey, Ferret."

"Weasel," Draco nodded.

"Everyone is upstairs in the ballroom. Watch out for Sirius' mum, she's having fits about everyone walking in the door. She'd really love a chance to go after you, Draco."

"Lucky me," he said, grabbing Hermione's hand and dragging her towards the stairs. They followed the sound of loud music to the ballroom.

"It's like I've died and gone to Gryffindor Hell," Draco muttered as he looked around. Indeed most of the guests were Gryffindors. It looked like George's idea to sell Muggle costumes had paid off. Most everyone as dressed as something from the shop- anything to look like a Muggle was worn by several people. Only a few, like Ginny, seemed to have put work into their outfit, including Luna, who was dressed in a whimsical looking fairy-type outfit that caused her to be almost invisible when she turned just right.

"What is Lovegood wearing?" he frowned at the same time Hermione had seen her.

"My best guess is that she's a wrackspurt, but Merlin only knows with her," she smiled.

"Right. Drink?"

"I'd love one. Butterbeer, please."

He disappeared into the crowd towards a bar Kreacher had set up.

"So, 'Mione. The ferret?" Harry's voice sounded behind her.

"He asked, I said yes," she defended, not thinking of a better reason to be at a party with Draco.

"I'm not saying your wrong. I'm just saying it's an interesting choice."

"It's not that bad," she muttered. Suddenly someone grabbed her from behind and there was the feeling of teeth on her neck. She screamed.

"Geez, relax, 'Mione," George's voice sounded in her ear. "It was just a joke."

"It's not funny, George Weasley," she panted as she spun to see George wearing a vampire costume.

"What's going on here?" Draco was suddenly next to her, two butterbeers in his hand and an angry expression on his face.

"I really didn't mean to scare her!" George said, backing up slightly.

"Don't you know about her little problem?" he hissed back.

George's eyes went wide. "I completely forgot! I'm so sorry, 'Mione!"

"It's alright," she grumbled. "Let's just forget about it, alright?"

"Good idea," Draco said with a murderous look at George. "Care to dance?"

"Sure," she said, allowing herself to be led onto the dance floor. She drank most of the butterbeer before she let Draco put his hand on her waist and they started dancing close together.

"About your little vampire problem..." he muttered, and she downed the rest of the butterbeer and sent the empty magically zooming towards Kreacher for a refill. "I'm really not comfortable with the idea of you living in a house he can be so close to..."

"The defenses have held so far," she told him. "He's been outside for an hour or two for over a week now, and he still hasn't managed to find a way in."

"Hermione, this is very dangerous. You could be killed!"

"But I haven't been. I'm safe."

"I knew he would be persistent, but I never imagined..."

"Drop it. Please. If I wanted to talk about it, I'd talk about it."

"Just one more thing."

She sighed.

"Did he get to you somehow? Is that why you've been... not yourself recently?"

"Don't worry about it..." she said, turning away as she felt tears spring to her eyes. Her dreams had been different recently. She was standing aside the blonde haired vampire, her skin cold, and he was holding her. It was not hate-filled, he wasn't trying to harm her, it was almost loving the way his arms were gently around her. He whispered in her ear, always the same thing: "Soon, my dear. Eternity will come for you soon."

She shook her head to get the image of the vampire out of her head, then struck up a conversation about something at work. She downed drink after drink, and soon didn't care that Draco was dancing closer and closer to her. Their hips ground together, it didn't matter that she was off-rhythm due to the drink, he was thrilled she was allowing him to dance so intimately with her. Just shy of midnight he finally made his move. When she looked up at him to laugh at a joke he had just made his lips crashed into hers. She dropped her glass, which smashed on the floor as she wrapped her arms around him, throwing herself into the kiss. He held her tightly, greedily, lips demanding on hers, and she was all too willing to give in.

"Care to come back with me to my place?" she whispered against his lips.

"Hermione..." he muttered, gazing down into her eyes, looking conflicted. "Don't you think that's a little quick?"

"Tell me you don't want it," she said, pushing her chest towards him.

"It's not that I don't, but I don't want to take advantage of you."

She groaned.

"You're drunk. Very drunk. It's not right," he said, running his fingers through her hair.

"But you don't feel bad about kissing me."

"It's different. You'd probably regret sleeping with me more than snogging me."

She sighed in frustration and shook her head.

"Do you want me to treat you like some cheap woman? Like how my father treats women?"

"No, but I'm offering."

"No, Hermione. Come back when you're sober."

"Fine," she said, turning and stomping off. He shook his head, but decided to give her some time to cool off, his nose throbbing as he remembered the last time she was truly upset around him. Had he known she was heading right for the Floo he would have followed her.

* * *

The alcohol had let her fall asleep quickly, but that night she was plagued by her dreams, more vivid and frightening than before.

_"Hermione?" a voice called behind her. She spun and saw Ron standing there._

_"Ron!" she cried, rushing forward and throwing her arms around him. She pressed her lips to his urgently, but he didn't respond._

_"The Ferret, Hermione? How could you do that to me? How could you even think of kissing him, let alone shagging him?!?"_

_"Ron, you're gone," she sobbed. "I just thought it was time for me to move on."_

_"I don't disagree there, but Draco Malfoy? Don't you remember what he was like? Don't you remember all the times he called you Mudblood?" he asked in disgust._

_"That wasn't him, Ron. That was his father," she whispered in protest._

_"Are you so sure about that?" he asked, turning to leave._

_"Ron! Don't go!" she managed to sob, tears flowing down her face._

_"No, Hermione," he muttered, looking over his shoulder towards her. "If you want to forget, you can. But I can't. He was horrible to us. And you're choosing him over me." He broke free of her grip, then walked into the mist behind him._

_"Ron? Ron!" she cried, running into the mist after him. Her hands were out, trying to find her way, trying to find anything solid, but there was nothing. She screamed herself hoarse, but Ron never came back. She was about to give up, to sit down and wait when she saw something shining through the mist before her. Unable to speak she ran towards the bright spot. She gasped when she came to the clearing in the white. In front of her stood not Ron, but the vampire. Her legs gave out and she collapsed onto the ground as he watched her in curiosity. There was no fighting, she had no wand. There was no running, she could never be faster then him. This was it._

_He opened his arms wide in an almost friendly gesture. "Run, my friend," he smiled at her. "Run towards the open arms of death. For that's the only place you'll find peace."_

_She considered him for a moment, then struggled to her feet. She walked forward into his arms, and he gently hugged her. She sobbed onto the shoulder of his jacket, and didn't even flinch as his cold fingers lightly pushed her hair off her neck. His cold lips met her skin..._

She woke with a scream, hair wet from the tears that had been streaming into it. She was never going to be able to move on. She was never going to be anything more than a minor player, a shadow of her former self. The dreams would never stop.

She got out of bed and ran to her desk. Pulling out a spare bit of parchment and a quill she scribbled a quick note to Harry.

_Dearest Harry,_

_I'm sorry. I can't do this anymore. I can't live while thinking of Ron. I can't live with the nightmares, the fear, the empty feeling that has been crushing me for the past few months. I can't keep going seeing his red eyes staring at me, knowing that he's always going to be hunting for me. Please don't hunt him down. I can't stand to think of you hurt. Please take care of Crookshanks for me. I love you, and I'm sorry._

_Hermione_

She rolled the note up and gave it to Crookshanks. "Take this to Harry."

The cat looked up at her, confused.

"Please. You know where Grimmauld place is. Just go. Ginny will know what to do."

Hesitantly he rubbed up against her, purring, then disappeared into the hall. She scribbled out a quick will, leaving everything to Harry and telling him that she wanted to be cremated and buried by Ron. Tears slowly worked down her cheeks when she made sure everything was ready, then waved her wand, taking down all the wards around her house. For good measure she threw her wand on the other side of the room so she wouldn't be tempted.

"I know you're out there," she called. "I'm done running. Come in. The wards are down."

Her heart started pounding as she heard the front door open, then close. She heard his footsteps coming up the stairs, much slower than he needed to move, obviously wary of a trap. Within seconds he appeared in the doorway, eyes darting around the room.

"Changed your mind, my dear?" he said, stepping into her room.

"I came to the realization that Hell is Heaven when Earth is Hell," she replied softly.

"May I ask what made you come to that realization?"

"No," she sobbed. "Please. Just get this over with. Quick and painless, like you promised."

He walked forward and took her tenderly into his arms. "I don't want to kill you, Hermione. I want to keep you. Would you ever be able to forgive me?"

She was sobbing too hard to answer.

"I'm going to do my best. Do you trust me to stop drinking?"

"Not for a second," she managed in a choked whisper.

"Good girl," he muttered, lips caressing her neck lightly before his teeth tore into her skin.

* * *

**So, this was the original end of my story. Nice and angsty, right? But because I got so many people asking me to continue I'm going to do just that. Romance to follow. And it's going to be a long ride!**


	7. Painful

**A/N: Short, but necessary I believe. I hope you like it. Please review.**

Her veins were on fire, she could feel the pain, she could feel the tears the pain caused occasionally falling from her eyes, but she wasn't panicking. She wasn't screaming in fright and confusion. For as much pain as there was, she was relatively calm about it. How very odd. What kind of weird version of Hell was this?

Battling the fire was the feeling of cold against her skin. She vaguely wondered if someone had placed her up against a block of ice to try to bring her fever down. Was ice this hard, this form-fitting? Could it place the tender kisses she occasionally felt on her fiery face? Or was that Ron's ghost, taunting her, knowing she couldn't see him, that she was in too much pain to reach out to touch him?

She tried to call out, tried to tell whoever was trying to get her fever down that it was alright. She was ready to succumb to it. She couldn't remember being sick, she couldn't really remember anything. Why was she burning? What was causing all this pain? And when would it stop?

* * *

He had managed to stop drinking. It was the single hardest thing he could ever remember doing. But in the end his lips had left her neck. She was screaming, and it took a considerable effort to get her calm enough that the howls of pain and terror stopped coming from her mouth. The tears remained, however, each one that reached his skin or clothes had caused a quick feeling of guilt to rush over him. He knew what she was going through, at least he could render as good a guess as anyone. She was probably in so much pain she couldn't think straight. She probably didn't remember who she was, let alone that the pain meant she was going to become a vampire.

The decision to move her was not easy. Carrying a young woman who was in such obvious pain through the city would raise the eyebrows of anyone who they saw. It wouldn't be as easy to move undetected with her, but he felt he had to do it. If he kept her away from her neighborhood he might be able to take her back to gather a few things she might want from her house. But if there was a string of unsolved murders in the area? It would be best if her neighbors didn't see the new, frightening version of Hermione. Plus he had seen the ugly cat running off looking like it was carrying a note. There would be nothing but trouble if a group of witches and wizards shown up. No, he had to move her.

He chose to move at three in the morning. He wrapped her in a blanket, stuffed a knapsack full of clothes and the wand he had plucked from under her bed, and picked her gently up. He kissed her forehead gently before stealing into the pitch black night. He stuck to the alleys, away from the few cars that were moving, avoiding houses where the lights were on. Once he had to hide in the narrow space between a garage and the house next to it, but the group of drunk men walked by without noticing them, despite Hermione starting to make noise again.

He got her the five miles to the abandoned house and brought her up. Whoever had abandoned the house had left a ratty bed which he had fixed up as best he could with a couple clean blankets he had stolen from a nearby market. He didn't need a bed, but he found it much easier to stay out of the view of those on the street below if he laid down. Having very few clothes himself, and not many chances to clean them, he wanted to lay on something clean. It also seemed more fitting to read Hermione's biography somewhere clean and free of decay.

A groan escaped her lips as he laid her down. Carefully, moving painfully slowly, he climbed into the bed next to her. His arms snaked around her, working as hard as he could to keep her calm. He couldn't take the pain away, but if he calmed her enough perhaps she wouldn't care about it as much. It had been a long, long time since he had last cared about someones feelings.

He couldn't explain the compulsion to kiss her, and his resistance against it didn't last long. Every so often he would place another kiss on her face, slowly, still able to smell the blood in her veins but it was no longer calling for him. He concentrated only on keeping her calm, the least he could do for her right now.

* * *

His lips were exploring hers hungrily. She had been late, arriving very early in the morning after an all-night study session with Luna. The smell of good cooking, something she had learned from her mother, hung in the air. She had made up for being late by cooking him a good breakfast, which was abandoned, half-eaten, on the half of the table he didn't have her pressed up against. She had gotten quite adept at sneaking out of Hogwarts to see him, and he was taking full advantage. With her squealing in laughter he lifted her onto the table, lifting her shirt up.

Something orange and fluffy was suddenly next to her, starling them both. He tumbled off the table, hitting his head on the stone wall. She rolled over and knocked over a candle, setting a place-mat on fire. Swearing she dumped her goblet of elf-made wine onto the flames, dousing them.

"Crookshanks!" Ginny shouted in anger and confusion. "What the hell are you doing here?"

The cat meowed and jumped over to Harry, who was rubbing his head furiously and cursing under his breath. Crookshanks held out the note towards Harry, who snatched it away with a thought of kicking the little fur-ball into the fireplace. Recognizing Hermione's scrawl on the front of the note he looked up at Ginny, stomach dropping to his feet. Something was seriously wrong. If Hermione needed something she never sent the cat. She always Floo called them and or sent an owl.

Hands shaking he tore open the letter and pulled it out. His eyes scanned it quickly, and his face drained of color.

"What's going on, Harry?" Ginny asked, sliding down to the floor next to him. His mouth worked up and down, but he couldn't form words. She pried the letter from his hands, read it, and screamed.

"We have to go get her! Before she does something stupid," she said, scrambling to her feet.

"You stay here," he said shakily. There was no way he was going to let Ginny go into a house that might have a vampire in it.

"Like hell I am!" she said angrily. "I'm going with you. She's my friend, too."

He was torn between his desire to keep her away and the thought that they might not be too late to save Hermione if they moved _now_. Sighing he grabbed her hand and Apparated to outside Hermione's house. The door was closed, the lights were off, from the outside it appeared to be just like any other house on the block where the inhabitants were happily asleep.

They moved up the front walk quickly. He reached out turned the knob. The door popped open without a fight. Lighting their wands he and Ginny walked inside. They made their way around the first level, but nothing looked out of place. He shielded Ginny as he walked up the stairs, taking each step slowly, ready to Apparate out of there at a moment's notice. But nothing came out of the shadows for them. As soon as they reached the landing they made their way to Hermione's room.

Ginny gasped as they opened the door. A small puddle of blood was easily visible, and smaller droplets were scattered about. The comforter from her bed had been stripped off. Realizing there was no vampire he dropped his wand and ran through the rest of the level, screaming her name. She walked forward, eyes riveted on the blood. As she came to it she dropped to her knees, studying it. Something was not right about it.

"Harry!" she shouted. His footsteps came running down the hall. He was next to her in seconds.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"What would cause that?" she whispered, pointing to the edges of the bloodstains. The carpet around it looked burned and eaten away, and the blood itself was blackened in places, bubbling lazily.

"Vampire venom," he said, falling backwards against her bed, tears falling furiously from his eyes.

She stood up, looking around. Her eyes fell on the will lying on the desk. She read it, tears falling from her eyes. "She left you everything," she whispered. "It also looks like she expected the vampire to leave her body here. She wanted... to be buried... by Ron..." she collapsed into the chair by the desk, sobbing. He managed to stand, walking over to her and placing his arms around her. She wiped her eyes with her sleeve before wrapping her arms around him. But her sobs stopped as she noticed something unusual. Pushing him gently away she strode quickly over to the closet. She ran her fingers over the slight gap, then pulled it open.

"A bunch of her clothes are gone!" she said, rifling through. "Her t-shirts, her jeans, some of the clubbing outfits I bought her, a couple of her nice dresses. They're gone. Most of her shoes, too."

"Ginny..." he said softly, eyes shooting to the blood spot on the floor.

"No, Harry! Why would the vampire take her body and her stuff? Maybe she's alive somewhere!"

"Vampires dispose of bodies so they are very rarely found. They don't want to draw attention to themselves. If he's been around a while he knows how to get rid of a body. And he was obsessed with her scent. He probably stole her stuff so he could still have it."

"Do you want her to be dead that badly?" she asked.

"No!" he shouted. "But we have to face facts. That blood came from somewhere!"

She broke down sobbing again. He gathered her up and, fighting his own tears, pulled her from the room. Of course he didn't want his best friend to be dead. But the alternative, something Ginny was getting dangerously close to thinking of, would be worse.


	8. Waking Up

**A/N: For those who expected romance starting this chapter, I'm going to have to disappoint. I couldn't imagine a scenario where Hermione would suddenly have feelings for the man she expected to kill her. It's coming, but we needed a little more angsty stuff first.**

**And I warn you, some of you may not like how I wrote Jasper in this chapter. I tried to think of what I would be like after being a vampire since the Civil War and seeing everything he has seen. Somehow compassionate didn't totally fit the bill. Ye be warned.**

**Enjoy, and please review.**

* * *

She wasn't sure when the pain had started to leave her fingers, but once she realized it had she focused on that feeling as much as she could, and it helped detract from the pain in the rest of her body. Slowly the pain continued to disappear, up her arms, in her toes, up her legs, moving slowly across her chest, up her neck, until the only thing that still burned was the back of her throat.

"Are you ready to get up now?" a silken voice asked quietly.

"I can get up?" she asked, still not moving.

"Of course you can. Open your eyes," the voice commanded lightly.

She did, but she wasn't sure if she could believe what she saw. She saw dust particles dancing in the air in front of her, but not just the dust particles, she saw the irregular shapes, the individual colors, how they changed when they hit the light of the candle by the side of the bed. Even though she could tell the rest of the room was dark she saw everything perfectly. How strange.

The next sense to hit her was touch. She could practically feel each individual thread in the sheet underneath her. A small current of air was coming and going from next to her. The strands of hair that were casually caressing her face were somewhat of an annoyance now. But she felt the burning still in the back of her throat most of all. She wanted something to drink, something to quench the flames. There was a craving there, but she wasn't sure for what. Something she never had before, she was sure of it.

And then her ears took over. She could hear a car pulling into a gravel driveway nearby, hear each stone crunch under its tires. She heard a dog barking in the distance, heard its paws falling onto the grass as it chased a cat through its yard. And all around her a strange thumping. rhythmic, yet belonging to distinct individuals.

"Are you okay?" the voice asked her again, reminding her it was there as she whipped around to see who it belonged too. Her movements were so quick! Was it possible all the pain was a trial to get into Heaven? But that hope was dashed as she realized who was sitting next to her.

"You!" she shouted, and he cringed.

"Would you please keep your voice down? This house is supposed to be abandoned, and unnaturally loud voices shouldn't be coming from abandoned buildings. Someones going to call the police."

"What are you doing here?" she hissed.

"I would have thought it most unkind to force you to endure the transformation by yourself. However you did do it quite quickly. Twenty nine hours, forty seven minutes, eighteen seconds. Must be some kind of a record."

"Transformation?" she asked, knowing what was coming next.

He caught on. "I believe you know what you now are," he whispered.

She held her hands in front of her, her pale, stone hands. She touched her face, it was cool and hard under her fingertips. She inhaled deeply and it hit her- the thing she had been craving. Blood. She was surrounded by it. How hard would it be to go get all of it? She was quick, she was strong, this is what she was meant to do.

"You must limit yourself," he said warningly, as if he knew what she was thinking. "Too many murders and you will arouse the interest of those we would rather not have against us."

"The Volturi?" she asked.

He looked surprised. "You know of the Volturi?"

"A friend mentioned them in passing once," she said, her heart breaking as she thought of Draco. Who would tell him she was dead? Harry was still not a fan despite Hermione's budding friendship. Would he even bother telling the Ferret what had happened to the girl he was probably assuming was on her way to being his girlfriend? Probably not, he'd send Ginny or Luna. Harry! Had he gotten her note by now? Did he know what happened? Knowing him he probably ran over to her house to try to save her before it was too late. Did he assume she was dead when he didn't find her there?

"You may take someone around here, for I know your thirst is great, but if you desire more we'll have to move farther out. We don't want to arouse suspicions, and we don't want to have to leave so soon after your transformation. It will be easier for you if we can stay around here for a little while, then we'll move."

"Take," she muttered the word as if it were poison. "You mean kill."

"If you so wish to use a crude term for it"

"Call a spade a spade... er..." she racked her brain, but she could never remember a moment when he had told her his name. The thought made her skin crawl for a moment, but she took a breath and calmed herself down. "What is your name?" she asked.

"Jasper Whitlock," he said, eying her curiously.

"What?" she asked.

"You have remarkable control for a newborn. Unlike anything I have ever seen."

"Have you seen many newborns?"

He chuckled. "More than I have cared to. Most of the time it is a matter of trying to keep them contained. I've been around some that have wiped out whole families on their first night. You seem content to sit there and grill me on my former life. Are you not thirsty at all?"

"Very thirsty, but I'm used to being hungry and have nothing to eat."

"No need for self-denial, though it will make things much easier, I suspect. Come. I'm curious to see how you react."

No one could accuse Hermione Granger of being stupid. She knew this was coming, knew what she was and what that entailed. Knew that, as a newborn, denying herself would more likely than not cause her to go crazy. At the very thought of blood the burning flared and she had to concentrate to keep her mind about her. It would probably be for the best if she didn't deny herself. Jasper had a point. Denying herself would only bring about one end- her going on some sort of killing spree and attracting attention not only of the Volturi, but the Ministry Vampire Hunters as well. And while that might be a possibility in the future she would have to stay low-profile at the moment.

"Alright," she said, getting up and following him out of the house. It was very early in the morning, most people were still sleeping in their beds. She could hear their heartbeats, smell the blood coursing through their veins. Oh, how she wanted them.

"Patience, Hermione," he muttered, placing a hand on her arm. She suddenly felt much calmer. "If you just run in and kill someone you raise your chances of getting caught. You must look for the ideal target."

But looking for a target went by the wayside as a woman rounded the corner ahead of them. She didn't remember moving, didn't remember launching herself at the woman, but the next moment she was on top of the struggling figure, thrown into a nearby alleyway, blood filling her mouth and washing over her aching throat like the only water after days in the desert. She continued to drink until she could get no more from the woman, then stood up.

"_There's_ the newborn in you," Jasper muttered behind her.

"I don't even remember attacking," she replied, looking away from the body at her feet.

"She had the unfortunate luck to be menstruating. You smelled the blood so close and your body reacted. Give it time, you will learn to hunt, learn to wait. The first kill is always the most difficult."

She glanced at the body and saw a wedding ring on the finger of the woman. Guilt and grief overcame her, and she stepped to the nearest thing she could for comfort- Jasper's arms.

"You are a better person than most, Hermione. Very few of our kind feel remorse for killing," he whispered into her hair.

"Just because I am a vampire doesn't mean I don't have feelings." The word had slipped from her mouth before she had even thought of it. She had avoided using the term because she didn't want to be constrained by the usual connotations of it, but she couldn't avoid saying it forever, especially with the body at her feet. She was a bloodthirsty killer.

"I wasn't implying you didn't. Most of our kind, however, see it as a necessary evil, that is, if they feel there is any evil in it at all. There are predators and prey throughout the world. They feel there is nothing more to us than there is to any other group of predators and their victims."

"I could debate this all night with you, but that would be counterproductive."

"I could debate that with you," he said with a sly smile.

"I'd rather not," she said with another glance down at the body. "Do I just leave her here?"

"No. The police would have questions as to why it looked so obviously like a vampire killed this woman. We'll have to dispose of the body."

"And how would we do that?"

"I know several ways, most of which would be extremely repulsive to you. The best would be to bury it, though that way is a little tricky. It has to be done in a place or manner in which no one will know the ground is disturbed, at least until all the evidence of a vampire attack is gone."

"And how would we go about doing that?" she asked, feeling frustrated.

"The best way to do it is deep in the woods or underwater."

She pulled a face.

"Fresh gravesites are also handy. No one thinks that something else has been buried there."

She blanched.

"Perhaps you have a suggestion then, my dear?" he asked, sounding slightly irritated.

"I don't know. If only I had my wand, I could give her a proper burial and no one would be the wiser."

He reached into his back pocket, pulled out the thin stick of wood, and held it out to her.

"You saved this?" she whispered, taking it from him.

"I thought you may want it in the future," he shrugged.

Nervous, afraid she may have lost her magic, she pointed the wand at the woman, whose body began to shrink and contort until it had completely changed into a statue of an angel.

"Where should we bury her?" she asked, picking up the statue carefully, as if it were a newborn infant.

"Would it be beyond hope to think you might just do it somewhere quick and nearby?" he sneered.

"This is someone I killed! The _least_ I could do is make sure she's buried somewhere proper!" she snapped.

"That is the food source that happened to be wandering by!" he shot back. "Do you honestly think that she would care more about where you buried her than the fact that you took her life?"

She fumed, turned, and stomped off towards the smell of green, living things. A few blocks away they came to a park, deserted in the dark morning hours. She wandered until she found an old tree, gouged a hole at the foot with her wand, and gently laid the statue inside. She quickly buried it, the ground jumping back into place as if it hadn't been disturbed at all.

"Should we say a few words?" she whispered.

"Killers saying words at the grave of the murdered. How comforting," he rolled his eyes.

She shot him a dirty look, but could not think of anything to say that might redeem her for her act, or be worthy of saying to the woman's spirit, so she kept quiet. They stood for a few moments in silence before she broke it.

"I told you to kill me," she muttered.

"Most people who are suicidal change their minds at the last second," he pointed out.

"Most people who are suicidal aren't going by way of vampire bite. Perhaps they wouldn't change their minds if they knew the alternative."

"Interesting theory. Perhaps we should do a study."

"I wanted to die."

"I thought it would be more prudent if you lived."

"Prudent," she repeated quietly. "Why did you change me?"

"I wanted you to live, but I couldn't be close to you. It was selfish, but I did so desire to get to know you."

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to let you down, then," she muttered.

"Excuse me?" he asked in surprise.

"I can't stand being around you. Your casual thoughts about death..."

"They come with age," he interrupted.

"The knowledge that it was you who did this to me, then! With no other reason than it would be more '_prudent_' for me to be alive."

He opened his mouth to protest, but she continued.

"I can't stand the sight of you, Jasper Whitlock. You made me, you gave me advice and warnings, and I think I am intelligent enough and strong enough to do this on my own. Goodbye," she muttered.

He reached out to stop her, but his fingers closed around empty air. He looked around, straining his every sense to pick her up, but he knew it was no use. She was gone.


	9. Typical Newborn

**A/N: This should go without saying, but just in case... This story is much darker than my other HP/Twilight crossovers. People are going to die, most of them won't be known characters, but in this chapter one is well-known. Angsty stuff is somewhat new to me, so I hope this is okay. Second 'Creepy Quote' is underlined.**

**Also, this is officially going to push this story into 'M' range, at least, I'm going to change it to be safe. This chapter deals with sexual situations and character death. Since I'm pushing this up to M, I will promise lemons in later chapters. Fair trade?**

**Enjoy, and please review. This has gotten such wonderful support, and reviews make me want to update quickly (hint, hint). Thanks for reading!**

* * *

She had left him, and the panic set in, but only for a moment before he started thinking. He knew more about newborns that almost anybody west of Italy, so he would have to assume that she was going to act somewhat like a newborn, although more like one who had their wits about them. A slight disadvantage, but there were still things that most of the young ones did. He could only hope that she would follow the pattern at least slightly.

The first place he checked was her house. Someone had been through, probably looking for her, but there was not a trace of her vampire scent here. She hadn't come back. He went to the abandoned house, but, as he had suspected, she hadn't gone back to the obvious place. He had a feeling about where she might be going, and he hoped she wouldn't stoop to that, but it was often too tempting not to do once one had superhuman powers. He dug out his copy of her biography and flipped through the pages until he found the information he wanted. Securing a few of his belongings he made sure the coast was clear before jumping out the window and taking off to the west.

* * *

She spent the first day hiding out in the attic of some old Muggle woman who obviously hadn't been up there in a while. The smell from below her was tempting, but she didn't want to kill again. When the burning became near unbearable she would hunt again, before she was driven mad by hunger. Her new plan was to practice self-denial. If she didn't satisfy her thirst whenever it called to her perhaps she would learn to take longer between killings.

When the sun had gone down on the fifth day she admitted the burning was taking control and she left the attic. The days had given her a chance to think. There was no denying that she was a killer now, but if she had to kill, perhaps it was better to rid the world of those who wouldn't be missed, whose absence might improve the lives of those around them. And she had just the idea where to start.

She made her way to a safe place to Apparate, and disappeared into the night, reappearing in a grove of trees in Wiltshire. Sliding down a secluded lane she came across a row of yew hedges. She followed, keeping in the shadows, until she came across a narrow drive. Checking to make sure the coast was clear she bolted down the drive, raising her wand at the wrought iron gates she was approaching. Much to her surprise they disappeared, allowing her access. Perhaps they sensed that the one holding the wand was more an evil spirit than a good one. Silently she rounded a large, ornate fountain, skirted past an albino peacock pecking at a fallen log, and came around the back of the house.

"I tell you, Narcissa, you _are_ going to your women's group tonight," a sinister drawl sounded out of one of the back windows.

"But I don't feel well, Lucius," she pleaded with a cough.

"I have business to conduct around the manor, and I do not wish you to be here for it," he snapped back.

"You mean you've got a whore coming," she muttered.

"So what if I do? If my wife kept up her appearance and didn't seem so disinterested in physical relations I wouldn't have to resort to find release elsewhere," he replied indifferently.

"What about my looks displeases you?" she asked, voice catching in her throat.

"At the moment, everything. You are a mess, Narcissa. Hardly worthy of being seen on my arm. If divorce wasn't so frowned upon I would have found a suitable replacement some time ago."

"Perhaps I should go live with Draco, then!" she snapped, stumbling from the room.

"I should be so lucky," he muttered into his glass of firewhiskey.

Hermione ducked behind a bush as Narcissa stormed out the back, tears streaming down her face. Hearing the familiar crack of Apparation not once, but twice, Hermione dashed around to the front of the manor. A pretty girl about her age was striding towards the front door. Hermione cast a quick glamour charm on her eyes and walked towards the young woman.

"Hullo, there," she said, blocking her from going up the steps.

"Um, hullo," the woman eyed her nervously.

"I'll be taking over the care of Lord Malfoy tonight," she said with confidence and finality.

"Did the agency send you?" the woman hissed.

"No," she said, trying not to show her annoyance. "I'm just really interested in spending some time with Lord Malfoy."

"He's the highest-paying client I have this week!"

"Did he already pay the agency?"

"Yes."

"Then keep the damn money. I'm not in it for the gold."

"Your funeral. The man isn't much for pleasing the women he's with, though he likes to think he's the best we've had. And you may want to re-think your outfit, dearie. He likes someone a little more refined looking." The woman turned and started walking down the drive. Hermione didn't hear the 'crack' of her Disapparating, but she didn't see her, either. She took a moment to transfigure her clothes into a revealing black dress and strappy black heels. Her sleek hair went easily into an elegant up-do, and with her new looks there was hardly the need for makeup. As an afterthought she cast a warming charm on her skin, in case the scumbag touched her. She checked her reflection in the fountain, then ran to the front door and knocked.

A house elf opened the door and bowed her inside. Without a word the ragged creature led her to the large sitting room, where Lucius was sitting in an armchair by the fire.

"That will be all," he snapped at the elf, who bowed out and scurried away.

"You are late," Lucius drawled, motioning for her to sit on a pillow at his feet. "And you are not the girl I requested."

"She fell ill with a fever. The agency thought I would be a suitable replacement."

"You bear a striking resemblance to..."

"Hermione Granger, sir?" she smiled sultrily.

"Yes. That repulsive little Mudblood my idiotic son has had his eye on for some time."

"One of the reasons I was suggested as a replacement."

"You are willing to do as I would wish to do to Ms. Granger?" his eyebrow lifted.

"You are a long-term, high-paying client," she smiled back.

He considered her for a while. "If things turn out well Ms...."

"Whitlock," she offered, without even thinking about it. "Though whatever you want to call me is suitable."

He smirked. "If things work out, pet, you may be hearing from me on a more regular basis. Wine?" he offered her a glass that had been sitting by his side.

"Please," she said, reaching for it, but his hand closed tightly over her wrist. Without another word he lowered the glass to her lips and helped her take a sip. It was foul, some of the worst stuff she had ever tasted (right behind Polyjuice), but she kept her face plastered with a small smile.

"While you are here you will do _nothing_ without my permission. If you desire a sip of wine, I will help you drink it. You will speak when I tell you that you may. You are to follow every command I give you, do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir," she said, straightening up. That's what he would do if he had the chance with her. Control her. Probably humiliate her, too.

"Come sit," he said, patting his lap. As disgusting as she found it she obeyed.

"_If_ there is a next time, pet, I want you to come dressed in a Hogwarts uniform, and try to mess your hair up. If I'm going to pretend you are Ms. Granger you must make the part more convincing. Do you understand?"

She nodded once, keeping to his ridiculous rule the she could not speak without permission.

"Good girl." His lips traced up her arm, kissing her every so often, then biting her hard skin. She pretended to let out a soft yelp of surprise.

"Not to your liking my dear?"

She shook her head and he continued, placing a hand on her throat and forcing her head up so he could kiss and bite the crook of her neck, obviously not noticing the silver scar from the last person that had bit her there. As he kissed her she took account of what was around her. The walking stick containing his wand lay against the table next to the chair. Before she had much time to look over the room he roughly pushed her to the floor, and she had to really concentrate to fight her reflexes and make her movements look human. She was on her knees on the floor, looking up at him.

"Remove my jacket and shirt, girl," he ordered sharply. She hastened to comply, feeling a pang of regret that it wasn't this Malfoy she wanted to be undressing. _Where did_ those _feelings come from?_ she thought in surprise. Why was the mere thought of sex getting her worked up?

Before she could think things through he roughly pushed her against the wall and began attacking her neck once more.

"Talk dirty to me," he growled.

"You are a lucky man, Lucius Malfoy," she murmured into his hair.

"Why is that?" he sneered.

Seeing her chance she grabbed him around the throat, whirled him around, and pressed him against the wall. It was his turn to gasp in surprise and pain. She released him and he slid down the wall, gasping for breath and in shock. She walked slowly to his walking stick and drew out his wand, which she snapped cleanly in two with one quick movement of her fingers. His eyes opened wide in fear as she took out her wand and lifted the spells she had placed on herself. In the blink of an eye she had him by the throat, pressed against the wall again, as his hands clawed at her stone fingers, trying to escape.

"And you thought you were in control," she sneered, looking into his terrified eyes. "You are lucky because I am very young. At the first sign of blood I'll probably loose control and finish you. I just hope I can return some of the pain you've brought on others first." Her fist flew back as she readied to strike him.

"Hermione," a voice scolded from behind her.

A groan escaped her lips as she turned her head and saw Jasper standing there, a strange look of jealousy and possessiveness on his face.

"Don't play with your food," he warned, flashing red eyes watching her.

"He deserves everything he's about to get," she growled back.

"I don't dispute that. But you are a better person than this, Hermione. You do this, and you are no better than he is, no better than the creature the myths say you should be."

Her eyes narrowed as she looked back at the struggling figure of Lucius.

"And I'm just to let him run free?" she growled.

"No, ma'am," he chuckled. "By all means, kill him. But be the better person, Hermione. Make it quick."

She stared at Jasper, wondering why his words meant so much to her. Sighing she turned back to Lucius.

"A _very_ lucky man," she hissed before sinking her teeth into his skin. Howls of pain filled the room as he did everything he could to be free of her, but in the end he went limp. She finished with him and let his body fall unceremoniously to the floor.

"I noticed you took more time than you needed," Jasper said, looking at Lucius' body.

"Since you talked me out of beating him to a bloody pulp before I killed him I figured I had the right to take my time."

"A small victory," he smiled. "So, do you need to dispose of his body the same as you did that woman?"

"Hell, no," she growled. "Let the man rot right here."

"Do you wish his wife to find him like this?"

"I doubt it would matter much to her. Still, you have a point. House elf?" she shouted. A moment later the timid little thing scurried into the room. Her eyes went wide as she saw Lucius' body laying on the floor. "I know I have no power over you, but would you please warn Narcissa of this before she comes in and finds the body?"

"Yes, Mistress," the elf squeaked, then ran off in terror.

"That takes care of everything, then," Jasper said, offering her an arm to lead her out.

"Not quite. How did you find me here?" she asked.

"I remembered what happened to you here, and how it quoted you in your biography that you might forgive Draco, but you will never be willing to forgive Lucius for so callously treating you and your friends lives. And I assumed that you would be looking to feed on someone who you felt would do more good dead than alive. I figured you might have come here sooner or later. I guess I was right."

"I see," she muttered, taking his arm and letting him lead her from the house.

"It was a good kill, but I should warn you of one thing."

"Yes?" she asked.

"You let the, er, working girl, walk away from here. She saw you, even with your disguise. When word got out that Lucius had been killed she would have been able to tell who was there."

"I didn't even think about it!" she gasped.

"I did," he said, looking at a barely noticeable pile of dirt underneath one of the hedges. If Hermione didn't hear what it was she would have assumed it to be nothing more than part of the ground disturbed by the bushes. They walked in silence through out of the drive and down part of the lane before he spoke again.

"I have been doing some thinking. You have every right to hate me for turning you. I know it was crass of me to ask or even hope for your forgiveness for that. I wanted to tell you that before I ran into you I was heading towards Volterra..."

"You were going to the Volturi?" she gasped.

He chuckled. "Wizards don't have a high opinion of them, I know, but they are somewhat of our royalty. I thought my skill might be useful to them, and I would be able to stop my wandering for a little while. Maybe find someone to wander with..." he gave her arm a hopeful little squeeze that she ignored. "If you want we can continue there. Maybe you will be able to find you path among others of our kind."

She thought about it. She wanted to stay in England, near her friends, but at the same time she felt like there might be more of what she was looking for if she moved on. Perhaps if she spent some time away, worked on her control, learned from those who had been around the longest, she would be better equipped to come back to see her friends and not worry about killing them. And Jasper was right. It would be nice to have someone to wander with. The thought of being away from Jasper, however, sank her stomach for a split second. He obviously had some sort of feelings for her, but she wasn't sure what her feelings towards him were yet. There was still some animosity she would have to work through before she could ever think of him as anything more than the one who made her. Volterra might be a good place for her to work a lot of things out, surrounded by thousands of years worth of guidance. Gaining their acceptance didn't worry her, they would more likely than not love her magic and welcome her openly.

"It would be worth a shot to at least try going to Volterra," she nodded. "But I have something to do first."

He nodded. She wrapped herself around him, turned on the spot, and left Malfoy Manor and her second kill behind her.


	10. Difficult Farewell

**A/N: I wrote two versions of this chapter, then decided that this one was much, much better. I hope you like it. Please leave me a review. Many thanks to everyone who already has.**

**Warning: This is AU, and I did kill off Ron and Lucius, so I thought I could resurrect a couple characters who might help with the plot. The first of these returns in this chapter. In all his snarky, bastardy, insensitive goodness (yes, I love Severus Snape. And I keep him dead in most of my x-over stories, so I thought I could bring him back here.)**

* * *

He had no idea what to do.

So much of his life he had relied on instinct, that gut feeling to drive him to do the right thing. But sitting on the information that his best friend, the person who had been by his side through everything since they were eleven years old, was dead was so easy he felt guilty. There was no body, no evidence beyond the bloodstain on the floor. But he knew she was gone, and he knew he wouldn't see her again.

Ginny had been all for going public. A big memorial service, the whole nine yards. She wanted to contact the vampire hunters to hunt down the one who killed Hermione and force him to tell them where she was buried. He had to spend hours talking her out of it, culminating in a promise to tell McGonagall what happened and let her take the reigns.

He dragged his feet getting to Hogwarts, and it was only when Ginny threatened to do it herself that he finally Apparated to Hogsmede after his Auror training one night. Hoping that the Headmistress had already gone to bed he made his way slowly up towards the castle. He wanted to stop by Hagrid's, but he didn't want to be the one to break the news to the good-hearted giant.

Not wanting to be seen he skirted through some hidden corridors until he came to the stone gargoyle outside the Headmistress' office. Sighing he reached up and touched the claw of the statue.

"H..Harry Potter to see P... P... Professor McGonagall," he tried to keep the tears behind his eyes from falling.

A moment later the stone opened it's mouth. "Come up, Mr. Potter," it said in McGonagall's shrill voice before the spiral staircase was revealed.

He stepped on and rode up to the door, but his heart seemed to stay where he had been standing. He could barely force himself to knock on the door at the top of the staircase.

"Come in," she called, and he opened the door with his head hanging.

"Mr. Potter?" McGonagall swiftly moved by his side, putting a hand supportively on his shoulder. "Come, come, sit down." He felt a chair hitting the back of his knees, and suddenly he was sitting in front of the large desk. "What's going on?" she asked, sitting in the chair next to him.

"Hermione..." his cracked lips formed the word as his insides turned to iron. "She had a bit of vampire problem. He was hunting her for weeks, and she was able to keep him away. But she had... a rough night the other night, and I think she let the vampire get to her."

She gasped, her eyes wide as saucers. "And what makes you think that, Mr. Potter?"

He reached a shaking hand into his pocket and produced the note Hermione had sent to him via Crookshanks. "When I went to go get her I found blood. It looked like it was burning the carpet away. Vampire venom would do that. She had shown up one night a while back after running into this vampire for the first time. She said he called her his 'singer'. That he vowed to stop at nothing to kill her and taste her blood."

Her jaw was slack, a hand covering her mouth, her eyes wet. "Did you find a body?"

"No. Her body was gone. All I found was the blood and the will she had written out."

"When was this?"

"Seven days ago," he grumbled.

"Seven days! Why did it take you so long to come to me?"

"Hermione chose to let him get her, thought that death was more preferable than the life she was leading. I... felt guilty. I felt like I pushed her to go out and get over Ron and her parents too quickly. That I supported her, but not enough. Hermione was the strong one. The one who could handle everything that was thrown at us with a rational mind. And she let herself get killed. There was no sign of a struggle. And it's my fault."

Abandoning all proprieties she wrapped her arms around him. "It is not your fault, Mr. Potter. Hermione..."

She was cut off by the door flying open and Snape rushing in, Draco a couple steps behind, looking conflicted. She let go of Harry and stood up, looking irritated, the tears that had been threatening to fall now gone.

"Have you heard of knocking, Severus?" she snapped.

"I'm sorry, Headmistress," Snape replied, with no air of telling the truth. "Draco came to me tonight with some rather interesting news."

"Get on with it, then, Mr. Malfoy," she said, crossing her arms.

His eyes shot to Harry, who was staring at the fire, not caring about what Draco had to say. "My father is dead," he announced. "Mother found him at the Manor a couple hours ago. It was quite obvious he had been bitten by vampire. When Magical Law Enforcement went through the property, making sure the vampire was gone, they found another body. A young woman had been buried in the yard. She, too, had signs of vampire attack."

"Seems to be somewhat of an epidemic," McGonagall said, summoning a bottle of Madam Rosmerta's Finest and pouring them all glasses. "Mr. Potter just informed me that he has reason to believe that Hermione Granger has also been killed by a vampire."

"What!?!" Draco shouted, eyes wide, staring at Harry. "Hermione's dead?"

Harry looked up at him, a tear escaping his face, and turned back.

"No," Draco muttered, shaking his head. He turned and stormed out of the office, but no one followed.

"And are your ample ties to the media the reason we are just now learning of Miss Granger's death?" Snape drawled. "You have now used your famous name to keep a body..."

"There was_ no_ body!" Harry shouted, standing up and holding out his wand.

"Easy, Mr. Potter," McGonagall put a hand on his shoulder.

He dropped his hand, nostrils flaring. "There was no body," he repeated through clenched teeth. "There was some blood and some vampire venom, that's it."

"No body?" Snape repeated softly.

"What are you thinking, Severus?" McGonagall asked in a low whisper.

"Seems somewhat coincidental. A vampire working its way through the magical community. Going straight from Miss Granger's house to Malfoy Manor, not stopping a the couple dozen or so magical houses between the two. Seems like someone might have a grudge against the two of them. Mr. Potter," he snapped, causing Harry to jump slightly. "I heard as I was coming up the stairs that Hermione had a bit of a vampire problem before...

"Is this really necessary, Severus?" McGonagall asked, keeping close by Harry's side.

"We may have somewhat of a problem. Answer the question, if you would, Potter."

"Yes," Harry mumbled. "She said one called her _'la mia cantante'_."

Snape and McGonagall locked eyes for a moment. "She did have a reason to hate Lucius," Snape said.

"I can't believe you would stoop to think..." she hissed.

"Even you must admit that the situation fits."

"What fits?" Harry demanded.

"A bright boy such as yourself must have thought of the possibility, with no body at the scene."

"You are being an arse, Severus," McGonagall snapped.

"Childish name calling, Minerva?" he smirked.

"I forbid you from saying it!"

"What, that he thinks Hermione is a newborn vampire?" Harry cut in. They both looked back at him. "Ginny thought of it. When I... er... told her that some of Hermione's things were gone. Her clothes. Some books. The comforter off her bed. She thought that maybe the other vampire took her things because she would need them later. I told her not to think that."

"And why should she not think it?" Snape asked.

"Hermione wouldn't want to be a vampire. She'd rather be dead."

"She wouldn't have much choice in the matter."

"She would find a way to have the choice!" he shouted.

"Harry..." McGonagall muttered, shooting him a sad look.

"No. She can't be," he shook his head vigorously.

"We should accept that it at least looks like she might be."

He shook his head even more vigorously. "No. I refuse to believe it," he growled before stalking from the room.

"And so the Golden Duo lives on," Snape murmured.

* * *

He had Apparated to her house directly from the gates of Hogwarts. Without worrying about whether a neighbor had seen him appear out of nowhere he ran, as fast as his legs would carry him, to her door and rushed inside.

"Hermione!" he screamed, over and over, running through each room. Someone had been through recently. Her books had been sorted into piles, with very few left behind. Pictures had been taken off the wall, albums rifled through, a safe left open and emptied. In her room he stopped screaming. He found a large scorch mark on the carpet where the bloodstain must have been, the venom having completely destroyed where the blood had fallen. Her knick-knacks from school were gone, there were spots on the wall where it was obvious things had hung for years but had been taken down. But many valuables, like the televisions, were all left behind. Someone had cleared out everything that might have been valuable to Hermione.

She was gone. And her death stung him more than his own father's. Lucius had been asking for it for years. Hermione didn't deserve... whatever was happening to her right now.

He Disapparated to his flat and threw the first thing he could get his hand on into the wall- smashing his mother's favorite glass candlestick. Swearing he repaired it, then headed up to bed. Only sleep could provide the comfort he needed right now.

But sleep would be difficult. He tossed and turned, with visions of Hermione standing over his father's body plaguing his every dream. He awoke twice to snatch his wand and cast light around his room, making sure he was alone.

The third time he did this, he wasn't alone. As the beam of light from his Lumos charm fell on the window by his dresser he saw a pair of unblinking red eyes reflecting back at him.

"Shit!" he shouted, sitting bolt upright, the room suddenly filled with light. Crouched there was a woman who looked awfully like Hermione. Her skin was pale, her hair was sleeker and shinier, her lips fuller, everything about her more inviting. Her crimson eyes were fixed on his, she was obviously holding her breath.

"H..H..Hermione?" he stammered.

"Yes," she answered in a quick, silken voice as she stood up straight.

"It's true, then," he gasped, sinking back into the bed.

"I'm not on a Malfoy hunting spree," she said with a sad smile.

"Can I?" he asked, reaching a hand out. She reached her fingers slowly, deliberately towards his, and let him carefully touch the back of her hand.

"Hermione, I'm so sorry," he muttered, throwing himself into her arms. She held him, leaning backwards, head turned away from him.

"There is nothing you could have done," she muttered, disentangling himself and pushing him back on the bed.

"My father..."

"I'm sorry if that's not what you wanted. It was idealistic of me, thinking I could only kill the guilty. I..."

"I don't want to know about you killing," he growled, covering his ears. "What now, Hermione?" he demanded.

"Volterra," she said, looking out the window.

"_Volterra_? Are you really thinking...?"

"I think it's a good place for me, right now. Being around others like me. Ones who have been around for a while. So I can..."

"What?" he raged. "Learn from the masters? Offer your gifts as a sacrifice for camaraderie and free meals? You don't know the stories that come out of that place!"

"I don't need to know!" she snapped back. "I am not the Hermione you know anymore!"

"You _are_ Hermione! Just a different version!"

"No, I'm not! I'm a killer, and will be for however many days, years, _centuries_ I walk this earth!"

"That's not like you, Hermione! That's not the woman I love!" he said, launching himself forward to press his lips to hers, but she pushed him back so hard he made a hole in the wall.

"You love the human me," she growled. "I will never be that again."

"Then why did you come here?" he asked, rubbing the back of his head.

"I don't know. I guess because I didn't want to leave without someone knowing where I am," she shook her head and inhaled deeply. Almost immediately there was another figure in the room, holding her back, whispering so quickly into her ear it was nothing more than a low hum.

"You!" Draco shouted, pointing his wand, but it was snapped out of his hand before a spell could cross his thoughts. Hermione's wand was halfway back to her pocket when he realized what happened. "You did this to her!" he snarled at Jasper.

"Don't, Draco," she warned, closing her eyes, the muscles in her arms clenching and unclenching as she held onto Jasper's arm. "I really want to leave here with you alive."

"It might be best if we leave, then..." Jasper muttered, face close to hers.

She nodded. "I'm sorry, Draco. I overreacted."

"I'm sorry, Hermione," Draco muttered. "If I hadn't said no..."

"In the past," she interrupted. "Take care of yourself."

"You, too," he muttered, but she had already jumped out of the window. The two men exchanged possessive glares. "She was mine first," Draco hissed under his breath.

"She's mine now," Jasper snapped back before following Hermione into the night.


	11. To Paris

**A/N: I don't know why, but every time I try to write something else my brain keeps writing this story. Ever had that problem? I'm trying to get over it. Must... update... other... fics...! (Four days of being sick has messed with my brain, I think. Pay me no mind.)**

**Enjoy, and please review. I've hit over a hundred so far, which has me stoked (and might be why I can't stop writing!) Another 'creepy quote' underlined.**

* * *

Swimming the English Channel was weird, especially since Jasper insisted they didn't come up for air. They ducked around ships of all sizes, and Hermione stayed low, afraid the nearly full moon would reflect off her skin and give them away. They made it to Calais safely with a couple hours of nightfall left, and after Hermione cast a drying charm on their things bolted towards Paris. By the time they made it Amiens when the sky was getting so light Jasper insisted they spend the time looking for a suitable shelter. They found an apartment building and, after a bit of searching, found an empty unit that would be suitable for the night. Hermione unlocked the door and secured the area when they were inside. She settled herself in one corner, going through an Arithmancy book, while Jasper stood in the opposite corner, watching her.

"Why did you come back?" he asked around one in the afternoon, once he felt the deafening silence might be driving him insane.

She continued studying her book, as if she hadn't heard the question, her face betraying nothing. A half hour later, after not turning a page the entire time, she muttered, "Because you told me you were going to Volterra."

His gaze was on her face, but she could tell his eyes weren't meeting hers. "You're a smart girl. You would easily be able to find Volterra by yourself. I'd even venture to guess you've been within a hundred miles of the place."

"I was in the town. On vacation, when I was nine. I thought it was beautiful, I had no idea there was a large group of vampires in the area. At the time I didn't know there really were vampires."

"So you could easily find Volterra by yourself. Which gets back to my question."

She sighed and closed the book. Her eyes didn't leave her knees as she replied, "I don't know what I'm doing. I feel like killing everyone I pass, and it's only because I'm so averted to the idea that I can keep myself from doing so. If I don't have guidance I don't know what's going to happen. I don't like feeling I don't have any control..."

"You are beyond controlled, for a newborn. An oddity, actually. I'm fascinated. I have never seen one as young as you be able to practice such self denial."

She considered him for a while. "You seem to know a lot about newborns."

"Unfortunately," he muttered, crossing to the window and looking out. A sliver of sun caught his hand, causing it to sparkle, the scars against it looking even more dull in the sunlight.

"Is that where you got all those?" she asked, reaching her hand up and running her fingers over the crescents on his hand.

He looked down and smiled at the physical contact. "The book was right. You really must ask every question imaginable."

"It's only fair. You know everything about me, and I know nothing about you," she said with a half smile.

"I do not know everything about you. I know everything about you that biographer chose to write, which if I listened to them, you seemingly sprang to life at the age of eleven and immediately got into all sorts of trouble," he chuckled.

"I'll give you that. But you still know much more about me than I know about you."

He slid down the wall so he was sitting, facing knee to knee with her. "What do you want to know?"

"When were you born?"

"Which time?"

"Both."

"The first time was in 1843, the second nearly twenty years later," he stared. He continued his story, focusing mainly on his time with the newborns. He told her about leaving Maria, and his time wandering in the states before deciding, just a few months back, to travel to Volterra. "That is when I came across you, and you know the story as well as I after that."

The night had fallen, but neither had made a move to get up and leave. She studied the face which had been looking at her, but not making eye contact the whole time. "This may be an old question, but why did you change me? Why not just kill me? Why cause yourself the pain of stopping?"

"The same reason I was going to Volterra. I'm tired of facing this world alone. I felt... a connection with you. Beyond your blood. We're not as different as you might think," he finished quietly, and stood in one swift motion, gathering his bag.

"Is that why you avoid me?" she asked, voice suddenly bolder. "Because I am so like you? You never look into my eyes... are you afraid of what you might see?"

"No," he replied roughly. "I _know_ what I will see. The biggest mistake I have ever made."

"I'm a mistake?" she hissed.

He lifted her up, his eyes staring deep into hers, and she was shocked by the intensity behind the crimson. "I made you with the foolish idea that somehow you would have forgiven me. That I wouldn't need to go all the way to Italy to find what I was looking for. I turned a girl with all the promise in the world into a monster. In doing so I drove you as far as I could away from me. And now I promised to take you to Volterra so I can give you up. And so I can't even do what I had been planning for some time to do. Because I can't see you every day on the arm of another. I'll deliver you to Volterra, as promised, but I will not go with you to the Volturi. I'll return to the States and continue my wanderings." Hereleasted her, turned and walked towards the door. "Come, you must be getting thirsty. We'll make it to Paris and hunt."

"Jasper..." she said, unmoving. He turned and looked at the floor in front of her. She stepped slowly, deliberately forward, and reached out her hand to touch his arm. "I don't want to go to Volterra so I can find someone to spend my eternity with. I want to go because I thought it would be best, right now, for me to be around my own kind. Until I can get over this newborn phase and start really thinking about my future."

"You practically are over your newborn phase," he pointed out. "It's unlike anything I have ever seen."

"I do try to deny myself, but after two days the thought of blood is the first thing on my mind. On day three I fantasize about the kill and try to hold my breath as much as possible. By day four I can barely focus on anything else but the beating hearts around me. I killed on day five because I felt myself losing control. That if I didn't hunt properly my body would kill whatever I could get my hands on. I'm not over my newborn phase. I just thought that if I deny myself now it would be easier later."

"Unlike anything I've ever seen," he repeated.

"And not my point," she muttered, turning his face so he was forced to look at her. "I feel... safe with you, Jasper. I feel like you know when to push me and when to reign me in. I don't want to go into Volterra alone. If you won't be there with me it might be time to formulate a new plan."

He sighed. "Right now my plan is to get you to Paris, or at least near Paris. Another lesson: it is much easier to lose a body in a big city than it is a small town, with the exception of tourists and those out camping and such. If you hunt someone in a house and you're nearly making sure that someone will know their absence and you'll have to move quickly. If you're planning on staying somewhere for any length of time it is better to hunt in a bigger city. There's more people who can disappear without being noticed. You will have to move eventually, but it's more a matter of months over days. I don't expect you to know how to find the perfect prey just yet, but there are prime targets. I knew of a vampire once who wanted to stay near Nashville for a while, a fan of country music, but he killed the Mayor his second week there. Hardly a way to stay inconspicuous," he chuckled. "I don't expect you to know all this and be able to differentiate too easily at first, but the simplest rule is: When in doubt, go for the tourist."

She shuddered.

"I know, you have an aversion. But I'd rather go to Volterra on their good side then have them come after me for letting a newborn run wild."

"I'd prefer not to run wild," she nodded in agreement.

"When we get to Paris I can help you find a good target, if you want."

"I have a trick I'd like to try, if that's okay. If it doesn't work I'll ask you to find me a not-so-nice tourist."

He nodded, and she took down the wards around them. They walked through the town, arm in arm, looking nothing more than a couple passing tourists themselves. It was still early, around nine o'clock, and the town was still busy. They slipped around people easily, drawing their fair share of stares, but thanks to Hermione's charm on their eyes no one saw to red-eyed vampires walking, just a very attractive young couple walking and talking without a care in the world. Once they were outside the city limits, once the crowds had cleared and there would be no witnesses they broke out into a run.

The running was freedom to Hermione. It was hard to keep her speed down so she didn't outrun Jasper, who was several paces behind her, talking only to tell her to alter course or when to slow. They slowed about a mile from the edge of the suburbs, near a major roadway into the city.

"We have a couple options," he smiled, looking towards the city. "First, hitchhike. I've never been to France so I'm not sure if they're as quick to trust as Americans. Second, walk. Third, sewers. Fourth, grand theft auto."

She chuckled. "Or fifth, Apparate."

"Apparate," he repeated the word slowly, enunciating every syllable.

"Magical transportation. Dangerous for Muggles since splinching is a very real possibility, but I'd be willing to bet that vampire skin is too tough to splinch. And if not it'll be easy to put you back together, right?"

"It would sound good if I knew what the hell half those words were," he smiled.

Sighing she reached for his hand. "Do you trust me?"

"If I say no are you going to throw a fit?"

"Say no and find out."

"Then yes," he smirked.

"Just go limp and let me lead," she said, wrapping her body around him. A thrill ran down his spine, but it was left behind as he felt his body being sucked through a straw. He gripped her tightly, fearing even the slightest bit of slack would cause him to fall off whatever wild ride she had just taken him on, but within a second their feet hit the ground. For the first time since becoming a vampire he stumbled backwards, landing hard on a garbage can in the alley they were now standing in.

"Running is preferred," he grumbled, getting off the can and brushing himself off.

"Apparation is quicker. At least you can't throw up."

"Thank God for small favors," he rolled his eyes.

She crossed her arms. "Where to, then?"

"Would you like to spend a couple days here, or shall we press on quickly?"

"I love Paris. I'd like to spend some time here before we go."

"Shall we find a hotel, then?"

"I know just the one," she nodded. They were in the northwestern part of the city, not far from the Arc De Triomphe. She used some of the money from her parents' safe to pay for the room for five days. They would hunt their first night, and after they left. They declined help to their room, Hermione doing most of the talking as she knew enough French to get by in a casual conversation. Once in Hermione warded the room and Jasper put their things away.

"Are we hunting tonight?" she asked, looking out the picture window.

"We probably should. Are you thirsty?" he asked.

"Always. Where to?"

"Well, my preferred hunting style is a bit different, as I play to my abilities..."

"Whatever you normally do, let's try it," she nodded.

"You may want to wear one of your clubbing outfits, then."

"I remember now. You first came across me in that club when I was with Harry."

"Yes. Many vampires prefer the tried-and-true finding a lone person in an isolated area, but they don't have the advantage some of us do. I like the diversity of trying to find one who doesn't 'feel' right, someone giving off the wrong vibes, if you will, and focus on them. Of course, with my gift, I don't know for certain if I've gotten someone unsavory off the street, but I can only hope that I've done a little good."

She didn't reply as she dug in her bag and pulled out the clothes he had packed for her. Surprisingly he had packed many different types of outfits. It wasn't difficult to find something she could wear to the club and look inconspicuous in.

"I guess I'll go into the loo and change then. Some things should be secrets," she muttered.

"Right," he said, turning towards the window, pointedly avoiding her gaze for the first time since she had pointed out his habit of doing so.

"Jasper...?" she whispered, not sure if she should be terrified or angry.

"While you were transforming your body did its best to keep you alive, keep you functioning as normally as possible. It was a losing battle, and in the end the venom made your body expel everything it didn't need anymore. Those drinks you consumed that night had to come out, lest your body still have them inside for eternity. Same goes for the food you ate. And you had an alarmingly quick transformation. You barely had time to process the food before you expelled it, and the venom told your body you didn't need any of the nutrients from the food, so it stopped absorbing them, allowing them to be expelled quite quickly. It's a fascinating process that I'm sure you would find very disgusting. Rather than have you lie in it while you were changing I changed your outfit. Did you not notice that you were wearing pajamas before you started and jeans and a sweater after?"

"I honestly don't remember much about that night," she said, the feeling of embarrassment winning over. He had seen her, and for such a mortifying reason.

"If it would make you more comfortable I swear I looked as little as possible."

"Not horribly," she grumbled. "But better than the alternative. What happened to those pajamas? They were a gift from my mother."

His eyes met hers again. "I'm sorry. There was some blood on them, and having seen newborns attack their bloodied clothing I made sure to burn them. Had I known you would have been so controlled I would have saved them."

"It's not your fault," she swallowed hard, and went into the bathroom.

"Of course it is," she heard him growl to himself. She sat on the side of the tub and let her thoughts crash over her. Jasper made her, and she felt resentment towards him for that, but there was truth in his eyes when he said that he felt remorse for what he had done and that he viewed her as a possible long-term companion. Even though she told him she wanted to be alone he sought her out to offer her options. Though he didn't want to let her go he was willing to. She was already clutching to him as her guide to this new life, but she couldn't shake the thought that her feelings towards him were already starting to evolve, and she wasn't sure what kind of emotions she would be sending his way when she could focus mainly on them.

She was into her clothes in seconds and she checked her image in the mirror. Her jaw dropped as she caught sight of herself for the first time. She had to turn a dozen different ways before she could catch a glimpse of her old self. It's difficult to look at oneself for over eighteen years, feel like you know your body inside and out, and have it change so suddenly and dramatically.

Steeling herself she stepped out of the bathroom. Jasper was gazing out the window, out across the skyline of the city, eyes barely moving as he was lost in his thoughts. She stepped forward- how silent her footsteps were!- until she was a couple feet from him.

"How do I look?" she smiled, knowing if she was cheerful it would make him feel better.

He turned and appraised her, smiling. "Stunning," he whispered.

A nervous chuckle escaped her lips. "Shall we, oh wise teacher?"

He was on his feet, offering her his arm. She reached out, but as her skin met his she felt something- an unfamiliar tingle- not uncomfortable, almost desirable. It was there for just a fraction of a second, but her reaction lasted much longer. He looked down at her hand with a surprised look as well, but he recovered quickly and led her from the room.


	12. A Beautiful View

**A/N: This is the second part of the last chapter. I wanted to get something out, so I split this into two, but I couldn't stop writing this. I've had it ready for two days, and I couldn't upload. So here you go, I have a feeling the second part is going to make some readers who have been hoping for it happy. **

**So, I've gotten all sorts of comments questioning whether or not the Cullens will be making an appearance, and if Hermione is going to go vegetarian. Yes to both counts, but we've got a few chapters before that happens. So have a little patience, this story is going to be a long ride.**

**That said, thanks to everyone for their reviews. I really appreciate that little bit of critique or love, whichever you want to leave me. Enjoy!**

* * *

They were let into the club without a second glance from the bouncer. Inside they locked eyes for a brief moment, then split off. He made his way upstairs, ignoring the women around him who were gawking at him, and set up in a place he could overlook the main dance floor. Hermione was already in the middle, dancing with herself, already attracting a few men towards her. He had muttered hints to her during the twenty minute walk to the club, and she listened without saying anything. He could tell she still had an aversion to taking human life, but accepted it as part of her new life as a vampire.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her body was drawn every which way by the smell of blood, and it was the confusion on where to go first that kept her rooted to the spot. She pushed the thought of blood to the back of her mind and concentrated on her plan.

She focused on the men in front of her. _'Legillimens,'_ her mind hissed, and she was surprised to be instantly rewarded by hearing the thoughts of the man she was looking at. He was thinking in rapid-fire French, and she caught enough to tell that he was just thrilled she was looking at him. She moved to the men around him, and found more of the same. She turned and focused on a group of men eyeing her. These were Americans. Tourists, Jasper's favorite. Each was hoping she would be leaving with them, but it was a tanned, dark-haired man she focused on.

_'Oh, that is nice. Top choice. She will certainly be on her knees in front of me by the end of the night. Maybe I should take a video. Show Amy, maybe that will make her stop wanting to marry me. Should have videotaped the bitch in Spain, too. That would get her crying for sure, seeing me get much hotter ass than her. Pain in the ass whore...'_

She left his mind, disgusted. This was her target. She glanced up at the balcony with an imperceptible wink, and was rewarded with a nod by Jasper. He used his hands to sign 'thirty'. That was a rule. Don't be seen with him more than thirty minutes, and never leave together. Don't be placed as the last person he was with. Thirty minutes would be enough to get him interested in her, though she already knew that part was done, and after about thirty minutes some might get suspicious that she hadn't gone to the bathroom or gotten a drink.

She curled her finger once at the man, who smirked and was immediately next to her, dancing much closer than she was comfortable with.

"What's your name, baby?" he asked, his breath heavy in her ear.

"Hermione," she replied, fighting the urge to lean away and retch. Keeping a smile on her face was difficult enough. "Yours?"

"Tony," he said, grabbing her and turning her so she was facing away from him. His hand held her hips as he ground into her. She glanced up at Jasper, who was holding back laughter.

She forced herself to move against him, let him run his hands over her, pretending to like the attention. He became bolder, forcing her to bend over in front of him, grabbing her breasts, biting at her ear. She had just about enough.

"You staying nearby?" she asked.

"A couple miles," he nodded, sounding excited.

"I've got a little place about a half mile from here," she smiled, pulling a piece of paper out and scribbling a false address and some directions on it. "Let me run ahead and get rid of my roommates. Follow in five minutes?"

"Anything you want, baby," he smirked, flashing the paper at his friend along with an obscene gesture. She turned and started sliding through the crowd.

"You see how fast I closed that deal?" Tony chuckled, and she heard them high-five.

"Feel like a double-team? I bet the bitch is up for it," his friend growled.

"We'll make _sure_ she's up for it," he sneered. She made it to the door, and as she stepped out Jasper was right next to her.

"Seems like you're bringing me dinner tonight," Jasper muttered as they turned the way her directions would lead the men.

"You can thank me later," she said, looping her hand around his arm.

They came to the alley they had agreed on while walking to the club. Jasper took a graceful looking leap, and was soon looking down at her from the top of the two story building next to her. She waited, and three minutes later she heard them approaching.

"Tony!" she called, and the men stopped and started down the alley towards her. "There's a shortcut this way."

They started down the alley, looking almost menacing, and she kept her casual stance.

"I didn't know you were inviting others to this party," she said, eying his companion.

"This is how I roll. Have to take care of the boys, right? I didn't think you would mind," he said, backing her up against the wall, twisting his fingers in her hair. She heard Jasper let out a low growl above them.

"The more the merrier," she smiled up at him, looking away from his eyes. "Which is why I invited a friend, too."

"Really?" the boys said in unison.

"Where is she?" the friend growled.

Jasper landed lightly behind them. "Who are you calling 'she'?" he growled.

"Who the hell are you, her pimp?" Tony asked in confusion.

"Her partner in crime," he smiled back, and the men took an involuntary step back, knocking into Hermione, who growled.

"What the hell is this?" the friend asked, looking to a terrified looking Tony.

Jasper nodded at Hermione, who pounced, sinking her teeth into Tony's neck while clamping a hand over his mouth to keep his screams from drawing a crowd. It was over quickly, she finished before Jasper in her haste to quench her thirst.

"You did wonderfully," he muttered as she transfigured the bodies so they looked like dead rats. "Do you wish to bury them?" he asked.

"I'm done pretending I'm not a monster," she grumbled, turning and walking away.

"You're not a monster," he said, catching up with her and offering his arm, which she took.

"What would you call it?"

"Survival. You kill when you need to, and you make sure you kill before you go on a mini-spree. I've seen newborns take out four or five people at once because of their thirst. I can tell you don't like killing, but I'm sure you'd feel worse if you left a family back there instead of those two idiots."

She sighed. "I'm in Paris. I don't feel like arguing with you. I want to enjoy our time here."

"Okay," he chuckled. "Where to?"

"You've never been. You have to see the sights before we go."

"Lead the way," he said. She wandered through the city as if she had a purpose, and he entertained himself by watching some of the people passing by. They walked in silence through the streets, their footsteps barely audible, getting glances from passerby, but not noticing. As they moved through the city it was getting later, and there were fewer people on the streets.

They turned a corner and the lighted view of the Eiffel Tower came in to view. He paused for a moment, just a slight hesitation. She turned and looked back at him.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" she asked.

"I'd say it is breathtaking, but I guess that doesn't have the same connotation anymore, does it?" he smiled at her.

They walked closer, stopping near the base and looking up in silent reverie. Without thinking he reached an arm out and pulled her to him. Immediately he thought he was doing the wrong thing, that she would pull away from him, but she leaned in and rested her head on his shoulder. She could practically hear his lips curl into a small smile.

"Want to climb it?" he asked in a playful murmur.

"Are you crazy?" she shot a look at him. "There are security guards..."

He let out a quick laugh. "'There are security guards'. What kind of vampire are you?"

"I'm not killing anyone else tonight," she warned.

"I wasn't asking you to kill anyone else. I was simply going to point out that there's no way for them to catch us if we run. What are a couple human security guards going to do to a couple of vampires?"

"And what, exactly, do you expect them to do? Let us walk up the stairs?"

He huffed, rolling his eyes. "Oh, the stairs aren't an option. I guess we should just go back to the hotel, then."

"Jasper..."

"We're vampires. We don't need the stairs," he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the structure. She let herself be lead towards the base. Jasper looked both ways, then launched himself up the side. Moving so quickly he would be nothing more than that unknown motion people sometimes get in their peripheral vision he climbed up the iron lattice, and within seconds had disappeared near the top. As he pulled himself onto the top floor he found her waiting there, casting a few protective spells.

"Cheater," he chuckled.

"Just because you insist on doing things the hard way doesn't mean I'm going to," she smiled, stashing her wand. "That should keep the guards out. We won't have to worry about exposing vampires as we climb down faster than people fall."

"Who said anything about climbing down? I was going to jump. Yeah, it'll leave a dent wherever I hit, but it's so much more convenient."

She rolled her eyes, but went to look over the side anyways. He stood behind her, close enough she felt his cool breath hitting the back of her neck. She had seen the view from the top at night before, but she felt like her eyes had been defective before. She could easily see the humans far below them, even blocks away. She could see farther than before, everything in vivid detail, beyond what any camera could ever show her. Her eyes darted every which way, taking in everything she could, feeling like she could stay up here for days and not get the full effect. And that was without studying the humans. She could see them, lines waiting to get into clubs despite it being past two in the morning. Friends talking on balconies, their cigarette smoke curling lazily into the air. She could see lovers through their windows, oblivious to anything around them but each other. She turned away, wondering if they would ever imagine a pair of superhuman eyes watching from so far away.

She glanced at Jasper, who was transfixed by the sight before them. As spectacular as the view was to her it would be even more amazing if it was the first time she had laid eyes on the scene. He noticed her looking and turned his face towards hers.

"I should really stop and enjoy the view every once in a while. I'm really wondering what I've missed," he muttered.

"You never looked before?" she asked in amazement.

He shrugged. "I never really had the chance when I was younger. Stopping could get me torn apart. Then I wandered with Peter and Charlotte, and didn't bother to look around. They had seen most of it, anyways, and were content to keep moving. When I left them I wasn't sure what I was looking for, other than it was another like myself, and didn't want to stop to look around because I thought the quicker I found that one then I might be able to stop and look."

"What is an immortal life worth if you don't pay attention to the world going on around you?" she asked.

"What is an immortal life worth at all?" he mumbled. "What is our purpose? Do you know? Because I've been asking myself that since 1863."

She bit her lip and looked out again. She didn't have an answer. They stood in silence, looking out over the city laid before them, as she pondered his words. Every so often she would move so she could look out over a different part of the city, going from the older parts, as if she could see the expansion to the more modern areas where the buildings had more glass and rose taller. Every time she moved he would be behind her within seconds, each time moving closer to her, but never touching her. She found herself wondering why he didn't envelop her in his arms, why he denied himself the physical contact she knew he was hoping for.

After a while she realized it was because he was waiting for her to give him a signal. She had been angry enough to leave him, to tell him she couldn't stand the sight of him. He didn't want to do anything else to drive her from him, and he didn't want to get too close to her for fear that she didn't want anything to do with her. She had a lot to think about.

The sky was lightening, too imperceptible for human eyes to catch, when she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder pulling her out of her train of thought.

"Come. It'll be day soon. We can come back tonight if you wish to," he said, moving towards the same leg he had agilely climbed up earlier.

"Jasper, wait," she said, reaching for his hand. Slowly, carefully, she pulled him back towards her, studying his face. He was looking at her with curiosity and a bit of concern. She stepped towards him, and his eyes never left hers. He wouldn't make that mistake again. Another step and she was chest to chest with him, and another look came across his eyes, they softened, and there was a longing in them. Swallowing her nerves she reached up and placed a hand on his face. She guided his face down towards hers, closed her eyes, and reached up so her lips gently met his. The tingling was back with a vengeance, urging her to deepen the kiss, to wrap herself around him, to keep herself locked to him. But she fought the urge, even as his arms wrapped around her and held her tightly to him and his lips moved sensuously with hers. Her lips trailed his as he pulled slowly away from her, but she relaxed slightly after his lips were past her reach. Her eyes opened and she was staring into his, and she didn't need to look at his lips to tell he was smiling. There was something about the kiss that was unlike anything she had ever experienced, and her head was swimming from the thought.

Struggling to figure out what to say she just muttered, "Shall we?"

"Yes, ma'am," he nodded once. He tore his gaze from hers and disappeared down the side of the tower. This time she followed.


	13. Nomads

**A/N: So, this was my computer as I was finishing up this chapter last night: 'Oh, almost completed chapter- om nom nom!' I was about ninety five percent done, when my computer froze, and by the time I got everything restored about half my chapter was gone. That wasn't fun. So I had to re-write, and surprisingly enough I got it done in a day. Thank goodness. I decided to cut some things slightly, so this is sort of the transitional chapter between Paris and Volterra, where we'll get to next chapter.**

**Thank you to everyone who has waited patiently for this. I had a comment things seemed to be moving quickly, and it was all part of my plan. No lemons yet, that wouldn't be realistic. If you were looking for that, we have a ways to go.**

**Enjoy, and please review.**

* * *

She was confused.

That kiss had been... well, perfect. Almost too perfect, she realized on the way back to the hotel. All her feelings of anxiety, hostility, and confusion towards Jasper had gone out the window. She had just felt desire and an overwhelming feeling that she attributed to seeing Paris laid before her in a whole different way. It had taken her most of the way home to realize that her feelings may not have been her feelings. The man who had been standing so close behind her might have been manipulating her feelings. She didn't think he was doing it intentionally, that he was trying to send every feeling he had for her back at her so she would kiss him, but he felt at-ease enough around her to let things flow in and out without really thinking about it. And with his proximity...

She spent the day curled up on the armchair in the room. He kept his distance, he must have sensed her new hesitations towards him. He had borrowed Hogwarts: A History, and they were both content to sit and read until the sun went back down.

They didn't need to hunt that night, so they walked arm in arm through the city. To keep his thoughts from the kiss she kept talking about landmarks and the history of the city.

"You must have had a photographic memory before becoming one of us," he chuckled at one point.

"It always helped me in my studies," she replied.

"I had decades to read about everything you've told me about, and for some reason I felt above reading up. Why read when I planned on one day going and experiencing? But just seeing without knowing... well, you have taught me never to pass up a book again."

"Now that I have so much time I can't imagine not reading everything I can about where I'm going to go and what I'm going to see. If I couldn't read books..." she pulled a face.

"I read, don't mistake me on that. I just read what interested me... war history, mostly. It was fascinating to watch the different wars going on during my life, though difficult to keep myself from them. Being a soldier is in my blood, and keeping on my side of the world while there was so much action overseas was difficult. But I knew my involvement would earn me some visitors. Eventually someone would notice a soldier who had to stay out of sunlight, and who could run into a hail of bullets and leave unscathed. And so I read every news story from every source I could get my hands on. But I stayed away, fearing venturing too close would get me caught up in everything that was going on."

The look on his face gave her an idea, and the next day, which was overcast, she left him at the hotel and returned a few hours later laden with new books involving the history of combat in the Magical world. He was thrilled, and she noticed that he picked up The Rise and Fall of the Dark Lord first.

After a week they agreed it was time to move on. Hermione had managed to go six days without hunting, and was feeling like she could go a week soon enough. Their next stop was in Spain. They explored the small towns and the big cities, and again Hermione impressed Jasper with her knowledge of the area. While they were always arm in arm they didn't kiss again. He acted interested in her, and she had to admit he was charming, but she was terrified of him. Were her feelings really hers? If she was with him how much would be her and how much would be his influence? Can one really have a healthy relationship with someone who could manipulate you in such personal ways? Most people in relationships became slaves to their own emotions, not the other person's, at least, not in the way he managed.

"Today is a special day in America," he announced one day around three in the afternoon.

"Hmmm?" she asked, looking up.

"It's Thanksgiving," he said, studying her face.

"Isn't that somewhat of a harvest festival?"

"That's it's root. Right now it seems like an excuse to spend time with family, engorge oneself, watch football, and gear up for Christmas shopping season."

She let off a chuckle. "And you would like to celebrate Thanksgiving? We might be able to find a football game on the telly..."

"Not your kind of football. American football. Where big men run into each other in what might be considered a big wrestling match, though with more running and a ball."

"Sounds like fun, and nothing we're going to get on the channels of a television hooked up in a vacation home in the south of Spain."

"I know. But you have gone six days, which is very good for one as young as you. Let's give into the 'engorge oneself' part and go hunting tonight."

She bit her lip. She really wanted to hold off the whole week, but at the same time he asked very few things of her. She nodded, then returned to her book, waiting for nightfall.

* * *

Once they had spent enough time in Spain they started to wind their way back up through Europe. They had agreed to go to Germany through the holidays, then move down to Italy, arriving in Volterra in the first week of January or so. He wanted to go to Germany so he could study some of the military history, she went to see the culture. They switched off, first going to see something he wanted to see, then having her plan the night's sight-seeing. They kept their distance from each other, though he did escort her around by offering his arm whenever they were walking. She could feel a hint of desire, but it made her nervous that part of the feeling went away when she put some distance between them. But some of it stayed. It was maddening.

One evening in December they ran into Poland to Auschwitz, standing before Auschwitz-II Birkenau. Immediately she felt an overwhelming sense of sadness, and the need to turn tail and run as far as she could. Trying to be brave she looked over at the train tracks, and was surprised by the vision that was suddenly swimming in front of her eyes.

_Ragged people, tattered clothing hanging off gaunt frames, were being herded from a train pulled by a scarlet steam engine. They shuffled slowly forward, knowing many of their number wouldn't live to see the sun set. Dark-robed figures were shepherding them forward, wands poking into them. In the crowd she saw the red hair of Lily Potter, James Potter, Ted Tonks, Dean Thomas, her two friends from before she went to Hogwarts, and, to her horror, her parents, clutching each others hands and whispering lovingly between themselves. Immediately they were ripped from each other, her protesting mother being pulled to the right by Muggles begging her to go and live, her father accepting his fate as they walked bravely to the left._

_"Muggles and Mudblood filth!" Bellatrix's shrill voice echoed over the throng of bodies. "Send them all to the chamber!"_

_"Now, Bella," Lucius' lazy drawl answered. "Some of them may be of use to us..."_

_"There is nothing Muggle scum can do that we can't do better with magic. Send them all," she hissed._

_"Patience, Bella. They will all have their time, in the end."_

_The doors to the chamber on the left swung open again, but what awaited them was not a gassing chamber, but a dozen or so dark gray-cloaked vampires, their red eyes glowing brightly, smiles of satisfaction across their faces. Three of these, wearing black instead of gray, beckoned towards her to join them._

"We're not welcome here," she muttered, stepping back as quickly as possible. Jasper was looking at her with concern, probably because of her sudden sense of terror and grief.

"There's no one here," he replied, offering his hand.

"No one _living_," she corrected. "We cause death, and their spirits know it. They don't want us here," she finished, backing away from the gates.

"Are you telling me there are ghosts in there?"

"No, only wizards and witches can become ghosts. But I can feel the influence of those who have died here, and they don't want killers on their resting ground. I can tell they're trying to drive us away," she whispered, not wanting to tell him about the vision she had had. She couldn't be sure, because it seemed like such a dream despite the fact she couldn't sleep, but she was almost certain that the spirts were sending them a message, and that she was more receptive to it because she was a witch.

"I didn't come this whole way to not see it," he grumbled.

"I'm not going to stop you from going in there. But I won't disturb the energy here."

He sighed and threw a look at the gates. "Fine, let's go."

"But if you want to see it, don't let me..." she said in surprise.

"I kill because I have to, I don't gain joy from disturbing the life-force of others. If you say you can sense them, and that they don't want us here, I'm not going to cause them unrest."

A smile flashed across her face. With one more quick glace back he turned heel and bolted back towards Germany, with her close behind. When they neared the city he slowed.

"It has been six days. Do you want to hunt?" he asked as she took his arm almost automatically and they strolled through the streets.

She shuddered. "No. I still have the feeling I had outside those gates. I... just can't kill tonight."

He nodded, and steered her towards the hotel she had splurged for, as it was their final stop before Volterra. It was very early morning, the sun wouldn't be up for another hour or so, but there were already signs of life on the street. Lights were on in the windows, they could hear children awake and moving around. She heard singing in a couple homes, and there were very few people who were going to work. She could tell something was different than the usual day, but she wasn't sure what.

They made it to the hotel, and they each took up the same spot they had the night before. He was now reading about the Goblin Rebellions at the small desk, eyes quickly scanning each page, brow slightly furrowed as he tried to pick out what was fact and what was fabricated by the wizarding point of view. She sat against the headboard of the bed and held her trusty Hogwarts: A History on her lap, but after three hours she realized that she wouldn't be able to tell someone who asked what page she was on- she hadn't digested a single word. The feeling was too consuming, the vision of what might have been had they lost the war too fresh in her memory.

"Jasper?" she whispered, so low she thought he might not hear it. But his head lifted and he looked into her eyes.

"Yes?" he asked, looking concerned again.

"Could you...?" she started, but she didn't know how to phrase her question without revealing what she had seen to him. Apparently he didn't need to hear. He marked his place in the book, crossed the room, and sat next to her. Placing an arm around her as a supportive friend might she felt him calming her, and she closed her eyes, finally able to relax slightly. He began reading her book to her in a soft voice, and the vision finally escaped her head.

The burning had been bothering her, and she knew she would have to hunt that night or risk of losing control. She and Jasper stepped out just after ten that night, picked a random direction, and started walking in search of good targets. They found a couple of mid-twenties men bidding each other goodnight on a street-corner. Jasper left to follow one, and Hermione turned to follow another. He moved quickly through the town, and she didn't find a chance to take him without risking witnesses. Four blocks later she lost her chance as he disappeared into a church. Intrigued by the singing she heard coming from inside she followed.

The pews were a third filled at most, but a full choir was singing, and she immediately recognized the tune. It was a Christmas song. She did the math quickly in her head. The last paper she pilfered was four days ago, and it had said the date was the twenty-first. She stifled a groan. It was Christmas.

An elderly woman was looking sternly at her, so she quickly slid into an empty pew in the back and slipped out of her coat. Keeping her eyes low she listened to the choir sing in a way she had never imagined she could hear a group sing. Each individual voice came to her ears, as well as the group as a whole. She had heard the songs dozens of times, but it was like hearing it for the first time. She may have been a vampire for almost two months, but it would still take some getting used to.

"You let him get away, did you?" she heard Jasper's low voice say too quickly for those around them to hear.

"I didn't have an opportunity," she said quickly, and hopefully divisively. She didn't want to talk about it, just listen to the singing.

"There are others. Come, we'll find you one," he said, placing a hand on hers. She looked into his red eyes, then shook her head once.

"Not right now," she hissed.

"You were worried about losing control. You try to wait another day, you run the risk..."

"I will not kill someone on Christmas," she shot at him.

He took a deep breath. "May I ask why?"

"I will not do that to someones family."

"Do you think a family will mourn the loss of their loved one any less on a day that's not Christmas? Do you think their holidays will be any less darkened next year?"

"I will not do it," she snapped, turning away from him.

"Fine. I respect your decision. I hope you don't lose yourself," he replied, and with the faintest of sounds he was gone. She took a deep breath. Her body shook in desire of the blood she smelled, her hands clutching the pew so tightly she was crushing the wood beneath her fingers, but she stayed in her seat, not breathing but rather pretending to, until the concert was over. She went back to the hotel room, still holding her breath, but Jasper wasn't there.


	14. An Apology and a Welcome

**A/N: I have a new poll up on my profile dealing with this story. I decided I have to have Alice with someone, but I'm still on the fence about who. Head over there and let me know what you think. It'll be up for the next couple chapters, as I'm not introducing the Cullens into the story for a little while at least. **

**Thanks for all the reviews. It's nice to hear how you are liking this, and what I could do to make it better. I do take suggestions into account.**

**Enjoy, and please review.**

* * *

She went hunting the morning of the twenty sixth, fearing she would lose control, but she didn't put much thought into it, just taking the first easy target she could without thinking of the life she just ended. Afterwards she waited throughout the day, but he did not show up. A feeling of panic was starting to set in, and she wasn't sure what to do as night fell. Had her guide to her new life abandoned her? Taking a deep breath she weighed her options. First she could return to England, take up residence in her house, track down Sanguini or some other vampire in the area to take Jasper's place until she felt comfortable enough to leave on her own. Or she could keep going, leave that night and get to Volterra as fast as possible. They would obviously have enough vampires around to teach her what she needed to know, and she could barter her abilities as payment.

After much internal debate she decided that the latter of these options was the more appealing, and she started packing her bag. She would run rather than Apparate, it was safer until she learned the land. If she moved quickly she could be in the Czech Republic before the sun rises, maybe Austria if she was lucky. She shouldered her bag and walked towards the door, but the knob started turning before her fingers made contact with it. She stepped back as it swung open, revealing Jasper holding a large box. He stepped in, closed the door, and placed the box on the bed before speaking.

"I owe you an apology," he said, looking sheepishly at her. "When you spend as much life as I around those who don't mind on which day they kill one has a tendency to form expectations when it comes to newborns. And I continuously forget that you have gone against nearly every expectation I have. I needed some time to... adjust my thoughts about newborns in general. And take stock of the damage I've done by holding newborns only to the standard I had for them before. I have caused much more hurt and devastation than necessary, and I needed to come to terms to that. Please forgive me for my actions of the last day or so."

"There's nothing to forgive," she replied, putting her bag down. "I wish you had made mention you were going to be gone for a day or two so I didn't worry about going crazy and committing a killing spree, but you have as much right as I to spend some time alone."

He chanced a quick smile. "I would not abandon you unless you insisted on it, Hermione."

A shiver ran down her spine at the emotion in his voice as he whispered her name. "What's in the box?" she asked.

"You seem to hold Christmas very dear, and I feel derelict in my obligation to keep you happy by letting the holiday pass with only our meeting in the church as recognition."

"You have no obligation to keep me happy," she pointed out.

"Yes, I do," he said firmly. "You begged for death, and I snatched the opportunity from you and turned you into a monster. The least I could do is to keep you happy."

She felt a smile curl her lips momentarily.

"As such I decided to bring Christmas to you. I apologize for the delay, but I had to get things together. And shopping was difficult."

"You didn't have to do anything..."

"I wanted to. Please, at least humor me, Hermione."

"Okay," she muttered. Smiling Jasper started pulling things from the box- a small tree, lights, trimmings, and a small wrapped box.

"Jasper..." she whispered.

He motioned for her to hang on a minute, bent over the tree, and stood up seconds later, revealing a decorated tree. She stepped forward, reaching out and running her fingertips over the branches. Jasper's hand rested innocently on her shoulder as she bit her bottom lip.

"I could sing carols, if you wish," he whispered.

She chuckled, and he started singing in a low murmur while twirling a lock of her hair between his fingers. She felt herself leaning into the contact, and this time she was sure what she was feeling was not his influence. There was a feeling coming from him, she knew that, but she had started to recognize what was his influence and what was her own feelings. His same feelings of desire were there, but they were different... less physical. A different level that she couldn't explain if she tried.

"I got you this," he said after he finished singing, reaching for the wrapped box.

"Where did you...?" she started.

"All legitimate. I promise you. I went shopping around the humans and everything. I can go steal the security footage if you want me to."

"That would defeat the purpose," she smiled, unwrapping the box. She revealed a soft, velveteen exterior. Slowly she opened the hinged box. Inside was a round bauble on a golden chain.

"Open it," he whispered, nuzzling her cheek.

She couldn't stop her hands from shaking as she carefully pried open the locket. Inside were two pictures, the left her parents were smiling, unmoving, up at her. On the right was a tiny picture of her, Harry, and Ron, laughing and waving.

"Ouch," she muttered.

"What?" he asked, suddenly confused.

"Sorry. I was biting my lip pretty hard," she said, turning to wrap her arms around him. "It's beautiful."

"You do like it, then?" he said, wrapping his arms around her.

"It's perfect," she nodded.

"Allow me?" he asked, raising the necklace out of its box. She turned around and pulled her hair out of the way, and he lifted the locket up around her throat and clasped it, letting it fall past her collarbone. Her fingers traced the circle as she felt his cool breath cascading down her neck.

"Merry Christmas," he muttered, as she dropped her hair.

"Would you like me to get you something in return?" she asked. "What do you get someone who has been living since the eighteen forties?"

"There is only one thing I want," he breathed, almost too softly for her to hear. She turned to face him, studying each feature of his face as she weighed the emotions crashing over her. She slowly leaned towards him, eyes locked onto his until her face was less than two inches from his, then they closed their eyes simultaneously as she closed the distance, pressing her lips tentatively to his. They held it for a moment, then she stepped back. His neck craned to follow, but after a fraction of a second he righted himself.

"You have to give me time with this," she whispered. "Part of me still can't stand to see you. And part of me wants to let this happen, as you have been so patient and kind with me. I need time to sort out my feelings."

"Understandable," he nodded, letting her go. "What would you like to do now?"

"I want to go to Volterra," she said quickly.

* * *

It was very early in the morning, before the sky was even lightening, when they came to the city on the hill. They slowed, and he offered her his arm, and together they started walking the cobbled stone. Immediately Hermione felt eyes following them.

"I think we should stop," she muttered.

"Why? We need to find this place before the sun rises," he said, stopping nonetheless.

"I have a feeling they'll find us."

They sat together on the side of a stone fountain and waited. A couple times Hermione thought she caught glimpses of movement, but the sun was hitting the tops of the stone towers around them and Jasper was near a panic attack when a woman approached them. They knew this was a vampire, she was a beautiful porcelain, her eyes dark with just a rim of crimson.

"Hello," she said, smiling, but offering nothing else in the way of a greeting. "I'm Heidi. Could you follow me, please?"

They stood, and followed her through the streets which were starting to come to life. They were led into a building, through a lobby to a set of elevators. The small group stepped into another lobby where a black-haired woman was just situating herself behind the desk. Hermione inhaled, and her hand clenched around Jaspers. While certainly not her singer, the woman smelled delicious.

"Heidi," the woman beamed as they walked past.

"Adrianna," Heidi replied shortly, moving quickly past the front desk, down a long hall, and pushing open a pair of ornate double doors.

"Look what I found hanging around the city," she announced as Hermione and Jasper followed her into the large stone chamber.

"Very good, Heidi," a long-haired, ancient-looking vampire smiled warmly at her before eyeing the ones following her. "Welcome, friends, to Volterra. I'm Aro, and it is a pleasure to meet you."

"Very much a pleasure," Jasper said, squeezing Hermione's hand and stepping forward to offer his hand to Aro. Looking curious Aro stepped forward, touching Jasper's hand. Flashes of emotions passed over his face as he went over every thought Jasper had since birth. He looked mildly amused, even interested at points, for several moments before his mild interest suddenly turned into unmasked excitement.

"Thank you, Jasper," Aro smiled, nodding quickly before spinning to look at Hermione. "Is what he tells me true, young one? Are you really...? May I?"

Hermione stepped forward, offering her hand. As soon as his skin touched hers she could feel her thoughts being pulled from her, her life like a movie being played in extreme fast forward. Her years at Hogwarts flew by, her time hunting Horcruxes and fighting moved less quickly as he carefully picked his way through. Ron's death intrigued him, as did Greyback, she could tell that simply by the look on his face. Then her mourning, finding out about her parents deaths, her depression, then one night in particular, with a dark figure entering her room...

"That one's private," she said, closing her mind quickly.

"You can cut me out?" he asked, excitement and joy easy to read across his face.

"Those thoughts are all mine. I've given you free access to everything before, you can have free access to everything after, but those thoughts are all mine."

"Of course, my dear," he nodded, and happiness was thick in his voice. "Please continue."

Her thoughts resumed after that night, and he was particularly interested in her recently acquired immortal life. When her thoughts caught up with the moment he let go of her hand.

"Excuse me, one moment, Dear One," he said, turning and sweeping from the room. Hermione took the opportunity to look around at the vampires who were now staring at her, trying to figure out what had excited their Master so much. Three in particular were studying her, brows furrowed, whispering quietly to themselves. She focused her hearing, but still only caught glimpses.

"But Aro can obviously..."

"She can keep him out, though..."

"I'm getting nothing. She would have felt it by now."

"Me, too. I can't figure her out. There's no other explanation other than she's a shield."

"But if Aro..."

The door Aro had disappeared into opened again suddenly, and Aro came back in, followed by two others. Jasper was back by Hermione's side, arm around her waist.

"Brothers, this is Hermione Granger. Hermione, this is Marcus, and Caius," Aro said, motioning to the two behind him, each of whom gave her an interested greeting and a kiss on the cheek. "Hermione, if I could trouble you to show them what I have seen?"

Hermione looked at Jasper, who nodded to her encouragingly. She drew her wand, and there was a gasp around the room. She conjured a cup from thin air, then pointed her wand at it and muttered 'Aguamenti'.

Rather than filling the goblet the room was suddenly filled ankle-deep with water. Vampires cried out in shock, several jumping to the walls and holding on to keep from being wet. She swore, then waved her wand again, vanishing the water. Another wave and everyone was dry.

"I'm sorry," she muttered. "I'm still getting used to the power behind my magic now."

"No need to apologize," Aro waved it off. "It takes all of us some time to adjust afterwards. Speaking of which, don't be too hard on him. He did it with the best of intentions."

Her eyes wandered next to her, where Jasper shifted uncomfortably.

"I see you came looking for a place to stay. My brothers and I have discussed it, and we would like to offer you a place with our guard. Both of you, of course. We cannot deny Jasper his talent as well. You understand what that entails, correct?"

"Yes, sir," Jasper nodded.

"I have a general idea," Hermione answered.

"Wonderful!" Aro clapped his hands. "No worry. We'll help you figure anything else you may need to know out. We wouldn't leave you in the dark. Now, where are my manners? Introductions are in order. Come, come," he took Hermione's hand and led her towards the three that had been whispering.

"Hermione, Dear One, this is Demetri, a tracker like none you've ever seen..." he chuckled. "Of course, you haven't seen any so far, but I promise you that you'll never come across one such as him."

"Pleasure to meet you, Jasper, Hermione," Demetri nodded to each.

"And Alec and his sister Jane, each incredible talents themselves."

Alec and Jane just nodded, each looking annoyed, Jane looking particularly incensed at the reception Hermione was getting.

"You have met Heidi. This here is Felix," Aro motioned to the large vampire.

"Welcome, Hermione," Felix swept her un-offered hand to his lips and gave it a prolonged kiss. She could hear Jasper's jaw tighten. "Nice to have you, too, Jasper," Felix added almost as an afterthought.

"Santiago... Corin... Afton... Renata..." Each gave more or less friendly greetings. Caius had disappeared and returned with the wives, who were looking excited, but approached Hermione cautiously. They both greeted Jasper first, then moved next to Caius and Aro as if waiting instruction on how to best greet the witch.

"Athenodora, do not fear Hermione," Caius urged. "She is young, but Aro has told us she is good at heart.

"Benvenuto, Hermione," Athenodora breathed, kissing each of Hermione's cheeks.

"Grazie mille," Hermione returned.

"Ah, you speak Italian?"

"Just enough to get by."

"I shall teach you, then."

"I would appreciate it," she nodded.

Sulpicia greeted Hermione much in the same way, then the two wives went to stand by the door they had come in from.

"Chelsea should be here any moment," Aro announced. "Renata? Could you fetch Adrianna and bring her in with the group? Hermione seems to have shown a preference, and we have much to celebrate tonight."

"Yes, Master," Renata disappeared.

"Oh, I wouldn't want to deprive you..." Hermione muttered, now looking extremely uncomfortable.

"I saw the reluctance, Dear One, and I understand the respect you hold for human life. You remind me of one who was here, long ago..." Aro looked lost in thought for a second. "But it's best not to dwell on the past," he finished in a tone that made it sound more like a threat against saying something than a casual conversation. Hermione wondered if there was something Aro didn't want her knowing about.

"It's a natural phase for a newborn. It will pass," Marcus muttered, waving a hand dismissively.

"There is much promise in you, young one," he nodded in agreement. "And after we dine if I could trouble you to tell your story to the group."

"Of course," Hermione said quickly, not wanting to offend them. She knew she would have to play the game for a little while, nothing she was unwilling to do for at least a time.

The doors opened, and she took a deep breath to calm herself as a group of people started filing in, lead by who she could only assume was Chelsea, then Renata and a terrified looking Adrianna, who seemed to know what being summoned at that time meant. Renata positioned Adrianna close to Hermione as Aro welcomed the group and the doors slammed shut.


	15. Dearest One

**A/N: I was going to wait a few days to update this, but why leave you hanging? This chapter is mostly transitional, anyways. I didn't want to stop typing after the last chapter, so here's part two. Enjoy, please review, and go vote in the Alice poll!**

* * *

The aftermath of the meal had been unsettling, with broken bodies strewn all around. In a well-rehearsed move several vampires moved forward to start cleaning up the mess. Hermione was unable to watch, and retreated quickly back to the lobby. Jasper was right on her heels, catching up to her and wrapping his arms around her from behind. He tried to calm her down but she tried to slip away.

"Don't do that to me right now," she hissed, but she didn't fight as his arms closed tighter around her.

"We both knew it would be brutal."

"That's beyond brutal," she breathed. "I don't know if I can do this."

"If you don't want to, that's okay. We'll go out hunting on our own."

She took a few deep breaths. "Just let me calm down," she muttered. "Let me think this over for a few days."

"Whatever you want."

"Hermione?" Aro's voice called from the antechamber. She looked up, put on a brave face, and walked up to him. "I apologize if that offended you. I should have considered that it might, considering your feelings recently. Our meals are not mandatory, if you so choose to dine elsewhere."

"I just... haven't lost control like that since... " she bit her lip. She had lost control in that chamber. She only intended to take Adrianna, to tame her thirst and to be polite in a manner, but the atmosphere had swept her up. With so much blood surrounding her, with terrified hearts beating so closely, she had given her reason a backseat to her instincts. She took two herself, and helped Jasper finish a third. She had never felt her thirst so sated, but seeing the bodies she had left, looking at Adrianna's terrified, yet lifeless eyes had been too much.

"Dear One," Aro muttered, a supportive hand coming to rest on her shoulder. "Perhaps you need a place to collect your thoughts?"

"Perhaps that would be best," she nodded. He deliberately skirted the large chamber where she could still hear a couple members happily cleaning up bodies, through a side door, and down a set of stairs. They walked down a narrow stone hallway, passing door after door until they came to the final door on the left. He opened it, then stood aside for her to enter. She walked in slowly, looking over each detail, though there was not much detail to be had. The floor and walls were all made of the same stone. There were windows looking over the shorter buildings around them, there were no buildings that could look through the windows, though if there were she doubted they could see anything through the dark-tinted glass. She walked to the windows and looked down at the oblivious people moving through the streets below her.

"Is it to your liking?" Aro asked. "We don't expect you to want to spend all day every day with us, so we provide our family with their own place to be alone or in small groups. Athenodora will help you decorate, she is fond of that."

"Thank you," Hermione muttered.

"Jasper, you have a space as well, if you'd follow me." They walked a few doors down, and Aro opened the door. It was smaller than the room that had just been given to Hermione. There was only one window, and it looked down upon a dingy looking alley. Jasper smiled as if he had been given the same room as Hermione.

"Thank you very much, sir," Jasper bowed slightly.

"And one more gift, for each of you," Aro said, motioning Renata forward. She laid two parcels in his arms. Aro studied each before handing one to Hermione, the other to Jasper. She pried off the brown paper, revealing a dark gray, almost black cloak and a pendant with a V and a crest. She glanced at Jasper's parcel- which was the same except his cloak was a lighter shade of gray. There was the sound of a woman huffing, and Hermione looked up to see Jane moving quickly away from the group in the hallway.

"Thank you very much," they said in unison.

"You are part of us now. Try the cloaks on, for size at least," Aro smiled as they each lifted the pendant over their heads. Hermione made sure to position it so no part of it was blocking her locket. She pulled the cloak around her shoulders, fastening it around her neck. She lifted the hood, placing it exactly at her hairline, and looked up into Aro's face.

"It so suits you," Aro whispered, fingering the fabric. "Anything you may need, my Dear, you come look for me."

"I will," she replied, then waited as he retreated down the hall before returning to her room, leaving the door wide open. With a wave of her wand at the wall the stone enlarged, moving out to a bench that ran the length of the windows. With her back against the wall she slid into a cross-legged sitting position on the stone, the cloak cascading down the stone and pooling on a ridge near the bottom.

"Having a time taking it all in?" Jasper's voice came from the door frame.

"It's all so much so fast, and I'm not sure what to think," she replied.

"May I come in?" he asked.

"You feel the need to ask?" she looked at him curiously while motioning him forward.

"I would never presume welcome in a woman's chambers," he said, coming in and sitting opposite her.

"Wow. I've spent so many years with Harry and Ron just inviting themselves in that I'm not used to someone actually respecting my space."

"I could leave and invite myself in," he smirked.

"No. I kind of like being treated like a lady instead of just one of the boys. Feel free to ask permission to enter."

"Yes, ma'am," he smiled again.

"You addressed me as 'ma'am'." She pretended to fan herself with her hand. "If you're not careful, Mr. Whitlock, I'm afraid I may swoon."

"If I can make a vampire swoon I must be doing something right. Or you haven't been treated like a proper lady for far too long."

"Or a combination of the two," she chuckled.

"You seem to be in a better mood."

"I'm coming to the realization that I am what I am. I cannot deny that I must kill to survive. Those people would have died even if I had refused to participate. But if I go out on my own I must kill someone else to survive. So there would be another dead body on top of all those in that chamber. I don't want to lose control like I did, I don't like being that type of vampire, but I think I'd feel worse if I killed another on top of all those who died today."

"A very logical conclusion," he nodded.

"Hermione," Felix's voice came from the door, and he knocked twice on the frame before walking in. Hermione shot a pointed look at Jasper before turning towards Felix.

"Hullo, Felix. How are you?"

"Pretty good. Better than you and your weak stomach."

She rolled her eyes.

"Why don't you come up to the chamber and show me some of your moves? The leftovers have all been cleaned up, and everyone's looking forward to seeing what that little stick can do."

"Okay. I'll be right up," she nodded. Felix shot Jasper a look before walking out.

"He fancies you, you know," Jasper muttered.

"He's such a man," she grumbled. "Thinks he can impress with his bravado, quick wit, and muscles."

"You mean it's going to take more than that to impress you?" he smirked.

"A certain level of charm and class never hurt," she smiled, standing and pulling her cloak off. She hung it carefully in the closet and turned to leave. Jasper grabbed her hand and pulled her back, pulling her against him and brushing the hair off her face. His eyes studied hers for a moment.

"You can be happy here, right?" he asked.

"Yes. It will take some adjusting, but I think I can be happy."

"Good. I would have left if you told me otherwise."

"We'll stay," she nodded, then reached up to place her hand gently at the back of his neck, drawing him down for a kiss. Her lips started to dance against his automatically, as if they knew them well, and she felt his arms tightening around her. This time it was he who broke away from her, a grin spread across his face. She could tell he would have gladly left with her had she wanted to go, but he wanted to stay almost as much as he wanted to be with her.

"Shall we?" he offered his arm.

"Gladly," she replied with a smile, taking it and allowing him to lead her back towards the chamber.

"Glad you could finally join us," Felix chuckled as they entered.

"I'm sorry if I'm not at your beck and call," she snapped.

"Fiery, aren't we?" he sneered. "Come on, little one, hit me with your best shot."

"My best shot would leave you in a pile of ash on the floor, and that's not how I should close out my first day here. Don't you agree?"

"You couldn't hit me if you tried," he snarled.

Without a word her wand flashed from her pocket, shooting a lightning-fast jet of red light in Felix's direction. It slammed into him, knocking him back into the wall, where he fell to the floor in a pile of pulverized stone.

"Lucky shot," he muttered, standing up.

"Funny how people say that when they come out on the losing end of things," she replied.

"Round two?" he asked, and before she could reply he was lunging at her. She ducked to the side and set a jet of red light after him, but he anticipated it and jumped to the side. He was coming at her again, she twisted on the spot and vanished, appearing again on the other side of the chamber, shooting another jet of light at him. Chains wrapped around him, but he flexed his muscles and snapped them. Before they had a chance to clatter to the ground he was running towards her again, but again she disappeared into thin air. He looked around, trying to figure out where she went when he was suddenly hoisted into the air and thrown clear across the room. The Disillusionment charm slid off her body, revealing her, and he jumped towards her again, but this time he fell to the ground at her feet, struggling against tight black bindings he didn't seem able to snap. She lifted his struggling body and bent her lips to his neck.

"I win," she murmured against his skin.

There was a polite round of applause that broke out to her left. She looked up to see Aro and Caius clapping, Marcus staring at Felix with a bored expression.

"Well done, Dear One," Aro said, crossing the room towards her. He held his hand towards her, and she let him see her thoughts during the mock fight. "You can let him go, now."

"If it's all the same to you I'd rather keep him bound up. I like him better this way," she looked down.

Aro laughed. "While I understand the desire, perhaps it would be best to keep peace and let him up."

She sighed and waved her wand again, freeing Felix who was immediately on his feet, smiling. He offered his hand to Aro, who nudged it for less than a second.

"That was a good trick, wasn't it?" Aro smiled.

"Which one?" Hermione asked.

"All of them, but we particularly like the one where you went invisible," Felix smiled. "I couldn't even smell you. That was brilliant."

"Magic does do a good job of keeping us alive," she nodded. "And that means protecting all aspects."

"You have been somewhat of a frustration to our other members," Aro looked at Alec, Jane, Demetri, and Chelsea, who were all standing near each other, whispering to each other. "They can't effect you the way they can effect everyone else. It is quite frustrating to them, I assure you."

"You mentioned Demetri is a tracker. But all you said of Alec and Jane is that they are 'incredible talents'. Do you mind...?"

"Not at all!" he sounded excited. "Jane, Dear One, would you mind stepping forward and showing Hermione what you can do?"

"Certainly, Master," Jane replied with a sinister smirk, walking three steps forward, then turning her attention to Jasper. Her eyes focused, and Jasper dropped to the floor, writhing in pain.

"Jasper?" Hermione ran to his side. "Stop it!" she called to Jane, but Jasper continued to thrash about.

"Stop it!" she ordered again, but Jane was not letting up. Hermione's eyes went wild. She stood, pointed her wand, and suddenly it was Jane crying out in pain, falling to her knees.

"Hermione," Jasper said, reaching out and placing a hand on her leg and causing her to relax immediately. "Calm down, please."

Hermione let up the curse, and knelt back down to help a shaky Jasper to his feet.

"Are you okay?" she whispered, hands on either side of his face, staring into his eyes and looking for the slightest hint of a lie.

"I am fine, I assure you," he nodded. "As soon as she stopped focusing the pain disappeared. I am okay."

Across the chamber Demetri was supporting Jane, who seemed to be having more difficulty than Jasper.

"Jane creates the illusion of pain, while you create actual pain," Jasper muttered as he saw where Hermione was glancing. "One is much easier to handle, though I have a whole new respect for what you went through with Bellatrix."

"Who's Bellatrix?" Felix asked.

"Perhaps we should invite everyone in," Aro said, stopping Hermione before she could start. "So you don't have to repeat the story several times over."

Hermione waited until everyone was crowded around, then launched into her tale.

* * *

The group gathered around the table, and the chatter was happy for the most part. It was New Years Day, and though they all had to attend the Order meeting, which were now nothing more than formalities every three months or so, their spirits were high from just coming off the holidays. The notable exceptions were Snape, who was always in a bad mood, Harry, Ginny, and Draco. The meetings were now held at the Burrow so Molly could provide a large meal. Harry sat next to Lupin, his surrogate father figure. Lupin shot him a quick smile that still betrayed the sadness behind it, despite the happy front he was putting on. Tonks' death had hit him hard, and while Andromeda was helping him raise Teddy it was all to easy to see the stress his single-parent life was taking on him.

"Harry," Remus said with a genuine smile. "Can I ask what's wrong? You have been under the weather for a while now, but you haven't talked about it."

"You'll figure it out soon enough," Harry said, knowing the news would be the main topic of the meeting.

"Thank you all for coming," McGonagall said, entering the room in a sweep of her robes, a grim-faced Kingsley behind her. "I know many of you are still recovering from last night, but I'm glad you could take the time to be here."

The room settled and everyone looked up at her expectantly.

"I know we typically start off with any information we have about any rogue Death Eaters, and what the Auror office is doing to stop them, but as the news hasn't changed much from last meeting, I feel the need to make this announcement."

Ginny grabbed Harry's hand under the table, and he stared at his glass of Butterbeer and tried to fight the tears springing from his eyes.

"Hermione Granger..." McGonagall started, but stopped as her voice caught in her throat. "Hermione Granger is dead."

There was a moment's shocked silence.

"No," Molly muttered, shaking her head.

"I'm sorry," Kingsley muttered. "But I have confirmed the information myself."

"How?"

He slid a piece of paper out of the stack he was carrying, and gently placed it onto the table. Harry looked up and recognized it as part of the Death Register from the Ministry. There was a list of dates, and under each date were names scripted in black ink. He thought he saw one name flash red when the light hit it just right, but he dismissed the idea quickly.

Everyone stared at the paper, though no one wanted to be the one to look. After a full minute passed Lupin's shaking hand reached out and pulled the paper to him. A tear slid down his face as his eyes scanned the paper, coming to rest on the name halfway down.

"This was the day after Halloween," he whispered. "Why did it take so long to give us this information? Why have we not properly buried her?"

"There were some unusual circumstances surrounding her death," McGonagall managed in a voice not much louder than a whisper. "We have no body to bury."

"What happened to her?" Molly asked.

"Vampire attack," Kingsley said, his face stoic.

"Like..." Arthur started, shooting a look at Draco.

"We're not entirely sure the two are related. We have gone looking for a nomadic vampire that may have visited the country, but if there was one, they are gone now. There have been no signs in the Muggle world of a vampire being around. There's one suspicious disappearance, but that's it. If there was a vampire, they have moved on."

"Damn lucky," Lupin growled. "If he was still around..."

"Don't do anything rash, Remus," Snape drawled. "Your allies in your community have been nearly wiped out, and attacking a vampire might bring more of them down on you. Let's not start a war, shall we?"

"And we're just supposed to let Hermione's death pass un-avenged? We're supposed to let the one who killed her go free?"

"According to the law, yes," Kingsley cut over the two men. "Under our laws the vampire is allowed to kill to eat, even if it is someone we love. Unless he's making a pest of himself, we won't do anything. And even if he is making a pest of himself, there's more likely a chance that we'd let... outside sources deal with him."

"To hell with the laws," Lupin snarled, standing so rapidly his chair fell over. "And to hell with this. Hermione deserves better." With one last murderous look around the room he left.

"Outside sources?" George asked.

"We let the vampires take care of their own," Kingsley replied. "If there's a big enough problem and they seem to be ignoring it, we'll intervene, but otherwise we let them deal with their own business."

"They?"

"The Volturi."

Harry bit his lip. They had just come across that name in his Auror studies. The Royal Family of vampires, the ones they were supposed to allow to enforce the vampires' laws. Thinking about it he got an idea, but besides a quick face he didn't betray this to the group. The rest of the meeting was cut short, and turned into a discussion on whether or not to hold a public memorial for Hermione, and what to do if they did. He got up, leaving Ginny to offer her thoughts on the memorial, and walked out to the garden to think about his plan.

"You're going to do something stupid, aren't you?" Draco asked, moving to stand next to him.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Harry replied.

"I saw the 'Plotting Potter' look on your face. You're thinking of doing something to avenge Hermione's death. And you got that look after Kingsley mentioned the Volturi. Which leads me to believe you're planning on doing something stupid. I wanted to warn you against it."

"You don't know what I'm thinking."

"I know enough of you that I can register a good guess. Don't go to Volterra."

"I wasn't..."

"They won't do anything. It's a vampire being a vampire as far as their concerned. It would be pointless to try."

"Pointless," he repeated, sounding frustrated.

Draco was quiet for a moment. "You don't want to see what's in Volterra. You're happier not knowing."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," he said quickly. "Just stay away, or you're going to wind up on the menu."

He opened his mouth to protest, but Draco was already in the door, leaving him in the garden with his thoughts.


	16. Plans

**A/N: I combined two chapters into one here, trying to keep things from dragging. **

**Enjoy, and please leave me a review.**

* * *

Ginny was going shopping with Molly later that day, so Harry waited until she had left. After wandering the Burrow and making sure that no one was home he made his way to the fire. He tossed in a handful of powder, dropped to his knees, and stuck his head in, muttering "Lupin's house!"

There was the uncomfortable sensation of his head spinning, then he was looking across the floor of a shabby, but well-kept house. A few toys were strewn across the floor, and through an open door he could see a crib, but he didn't hear the telltale sounds of Teddy.

"Moony!" he called, hoping he was home.

"Coming!" the werewolf's voice called. There was a bang, then a swear, and Lupin appeared, rubbing his arm.

"Hi, Harry," Lupin smiled with a little wave. "I'm just finishing up my translations for the day, I was about to go pick up Teddy from Andromeda's." The only job Lupin could get was proofreading and translating Dark Arts texts, and only if he agreed to work from home. It angered Harry, but Lupin was just happy to be able to get work.

"I want to talk to you," Harry muttered. "About Hermione. Can you come through?"

Lupin's face had suddenly turned to stone. He nodded once. Without another word Harry backed out of the Floo, and seconds later Lupin was walking through it.

"What about Hermione?" the older man asked before the flames returned to their normal color.

"I want to go do something about it. I can't just let what happened to her go. I need to see the one who killed her, to know why he did it."

"Were you going to kill him?"

"I was going to try."

A smile played across Lupin's face, but it was gone before Harry could question the motives behind it. "What were you planning on doing, pup? How are you going to find a vampire?"

"Draco said something the other day. He made it seem like they might know something in Volterra. I was going to go question them."

"Do you think it wise to go running into a group of vampires?"

"I think I can get out of there. Some protective charms to keep them away from me, and I have no hesitations about going to make them tell me what they know."

"Do you know where in Volterra the Volturi are?"

"No, but I was going to break into the Vampire Hunter's office. They're bound to have something, or at least the contact information for someone in the Italian Ministry who would know something. If I throw my name around enough I'm sure I could get the information I want."

"And getting into the Vampire Hunter's office?"

"The Invisibility Cloak, of course. They aren't the most protected office. If I go to the Ministry late at night this should be one of the easiest things I've ever done."

"There's another way. I could go with to Volterra. I know what vampires smell like, it would be easy for me to smell where their scents are most concentrated."

Harry smiled. "I want to go as soon as possible."

"I'll tell Andromeda I'm going to head out of town to get my hands on something that needs translating. She should be able to watch Teddy until I come back."

"_You_ wouldn't come back from Volterra," a voice drawled from the door. Harry and Lupin's heads snapped up to see Draco standing there, looking angry, arms crossed tightly across his chest.

"You know that, don't you?" Draco continued. "There's no way in hell that group of vampires is going to let a werewolf walk in and out without harm. Or are you planning on not coming back?"

"What the hell are you doing here, Malfoy?" Harry hissed.

"Ginny Flooed me. Said she thinks you were going to do something really stupid. Looks like I owe her five Galleons. I said there was no way you'd be stupid enough to think of going to Italy."

"Get out of here," Harry ordered.

"No. I'm not going to stand by and let the Boy Who Lived plan his death. And I'm certainly not going to stand back quietly while you're planning on making your son an orphan, Lupin."

"I can take care of myself, thank you," Lupin growled.

"Against fifteen or twenty vampires with a vendetta against werewolves? Surely you heard what they did to that pack in Belgium ten years ago. It's why most of your kind went into hiding over here, afraid of them crossing the channel. I've never heard of thirty werewolves getting wiped out in an hour, but I'm sure you can go there by yourself when it's not the right time of the month and make it out okay. They'll just let you walk."

Harry was looking up at Lupin, whose eyes were narrowed into slits. "I'm not just a werewolf. Those Muggle werewolves had no chance. I do."

"Willing to bet your life on that? Or, better yet, willing to bet your son's life? If they find out about Teddy you can bet they won't chance..."

"Stop!" Harry shouted. "I'll go by myself. But I won't let what happened to Hermione go un..."

"Revenge, Potter? How unlike Hermione. Not the best way to honor her memory."

"Shut up, Draco. You have no idea..."

"You may presume too much. Don't be an idiot. Stay here."

Harry stared at him. "What aren't you telling me, Draco? If there's something you know about Hermione that I don't..."

Draco looked at Lupin, then motioned for Harry to follow him out of the room. Lupin made a motion to follow, but Harry signaled him to stay put. He followed Draco out of the kitchen and into the sitting room.

"Three years, Potter," Draco muttered, his voice low. "If you still want to go to Volterra, I'll take you there in three years."

"Every delay will put us back..."

"I have a feeling that delaying your trip three years would actually be much better than going right now. Volterra is not a safe city normally, but it's particularly dangerous at the moment."

"Why would it be particularly dangerous now?"

Draco looked lost in thought for a moment. "Every so often... every few decades or so, the Volturi accept a new guard member or two. The time after the new members start is always dangerous, because they must be trained, and their thirst tends to run high." It was a bald-faced lie, and he didn't like lying to Harry so blatantly, but saying 'there's a newborn vampire running around the area' would certainly give Hermione's secret away.

Harry studied his face, and Draco got the feeling it was because Harry knew what he said was a lie, and was trying to figure out the truth, or maybe running from it. "One year."

Draco shook his head. "Not safe. Two years, that's the earliest I will go."

"Eighteen months."

Draco sighed. Hermione had been able to be in the room with him, and hadn't killed him even when tempted with his blood so close to her. Perhaps she would be able to deal with their arrival earlier than normal.

"Fine. Eighteen months. But six months before you and I need to start preparing. And I won't hesitate to take us out of there and staying far away if something even looks like it's going wrong."

Harry nodded.

"And we're leaving Lupin here."

"But he wants to go..."

"And I'm sure I know better than you _why_ he wants to go. But it's not worth him getting killed over."

"Why does he want to go?"

He shook his head. "If you don't know by now, I'm sure he's trying to keep the information from you." A look of almost jealously passed quickly over his face, but Harry didn't notice. "They will kill him, even if he goes in there peacefully. I'm sure he knows that. If he manages to get away they have ways to hunt him down. And they'll kill Teddy, too, because they hate werewolves and want to wipe them all out. Even if he isn't one, he's the son of one, and they have a 'guilty by association' mentality. Might even kill Andromeda, too, for taking care of the young one. Would have certainly killed Tonks if she were still alive."

"I don't want Lupin hurt," Harry muttered, looking at the floor.

"Make him stay here. We won't even tell him when we go."

Harry nodded.

"I'm not going to lie, Potter. This is going to dangerous no matter when we go."

"Then why did you agree to go."

Draco was quiet for a moment. "Because I cared about her. More than you know," he mumbled before walking out.

* * *

Heidi and Chelsea had been appointed to get a new wardrobe for Hermione, something 'respectable and sophisticated', according to Aro. They did not disappoint, taking her measurements and returning a few hours later with bags stuffed with all sorts of clothes. They kicked Jasper out of her room as they stuffed her into outfit after outfit, making sure everything was up to their standards. Chelsea and Heidi were overly nice to Hermione, and this was also part of Aro's doing, though Hermione didn't know it. Chelsea couldn't manipulate Hermione the way she could everyone else, and so the girls were assigned to be Hermione's friends as a way to build her ties to the Volturi. Even after two months Hermione refused to acknowledge anyone as 'Master', though Jasper had said it a few times.

A couple hours after their game of dress up she knocked on Jasper's door.

"Come in," he called.

She opened the door and stepped inside. His eyes immediately wandered over the tight, fitted red blouse, skirt, and knee-high high-heeled boots she was wearing.

"Do you like it?" she asked, stepping in and twirling around to show him everything.

"You look absolutely stunning," he smiled.

She smiled, then sat across from him. "I'm glad I'm done being the guinea pig. That was brutal."

"You don't like fashion?" his eyebrow raised.

"It's not that I don't enjoy dressing up like a girl, but not forty some outfits rapid-fire," she sighed, putting her feet up on his lap. He eyed her boots hungrily, but she pretended not to notice. Their relationship was pretty much the same, physically at least. They kissed, they hugged, most of the time there was some sort of physical contact between them, but their kissing was limited to a few seconds, their hugs cautious. He was being very patient with her, and she knew it was because he knew the waiting would pay off. But she wasn't quite ready to make what they had anything more than casual just yet. She was still adjusting to her vampire life, and while she was 'remarkably controlled' for a newborn, there were still moments she lost control, mostly during their meals. She didn't want to make any life-altering decisions until she felt her mind was all her own again.

On top of dealing with being a Newborn she was also dealing with the new relationships around her. Chelsea and Heidi were friendly. Aro and Caius spent a lot of time with her, talking, and making her feel wanted. Felix was beyond friendly, outright flirting with her, and Jasper was making sure they spent minimal amounts of time alone together. She and Demetri got along more like pleasant business partners than friends. And Alec and Jane both avoided her as if she weren't there. Jane was particularly cold to her, as it was obvious she was Aro's new favorite.

"Hey, lovebirds," Felix knocked hard on their door, causing it to bow in with each hit. "Finish it up and come to the chamber. Cloaks are required."

Hermione and Jasper exchanged looks. They had never been called where their cloaks were required. It meant there was a mission they were about to embark upon or there was a visitor coming. Hermione summoned her cloak and threw it around her shoulders as Jasper fetched his, and together they rushed up to the large chamber.

"Gather," Aro motioned as they entered, and the group went to stand around the thrones. Someone shoved a stack of papers into Hermione's arms, and Jasper leaned over her shoulder as she flipped through, scanning each article quickly. There were printouts of stories from American newspapers, all screaming the same thing- 'Murder Spree Terrorizes Atlanta'. Gianna, the new secretary, gave Hermione a wide berth as she passed out the stacks to the assembled vampires. She had heard the story of the newborn's preference for her predecessor, and wanted to make sure Aro's favorite wasn't given another chance to cause an opening in the secretary position.

"Jasper!" Aro smiled, causing everyone to stop reading the stories and look at him. "You would know what this is, wouldn't you?"

"Newborns," Jasper replied. "Lots of them, and poorly trained, too. Judging by the body count there's at least twelve, maybe fifteen, plus their maker. Probably someone who remembers the wars in the South, but doesn't know what they were doing."

"Very good. None of them were quite as thorough as Maria, so I don't expect the same level of efficiency as your former coven, so I'm willing to bet whoever is making the newborns was a runaway newborn themselves at one point. Do you agree?"

"Most likely. Some of them do realize what's going to happen to them and they bolt. If they didn't realize what it takes to keep the newborns in line, something like this could easily happen."

Aro smiled. "Your knowledge of the inner workings of these newborn clans is unmatched by any here. We know how to destroy them, but have never spent time studying them. You have the chance to prove your knowledge on this mission. You will help me organize our efforts."

"An honor, Master," Jasper nodded. Hermione kept a frown from playing across her face as Jasper used the title.

"Hermione, of course, you will be our point on this. Hopefully your skills will make it easier to take out as many as possible, as quickly as possible, keeping what the humans can notice to a minimum. Do you feel you can handle that?"

"Yes, Aro," she nodded.

"Wonderful. Caius and I are going to accompany you on this mission. It should be enlightening. Now, Alec, Felix, and Demetri will accompany us. Best to have a good enough show to make them hesitate about attacking. Anyone else care to join us?"

"I will, Master," Renata announced to no one's surprise.

"No," Marcus dismissed them with a wave of his hand. "I'm sure I will hear enough about it when you return."

Chelsea, Afton, Heidi and Jane all declined. There would be too little to do with the group going, and they didn't like being 'babysat' by Aro and Caius.

"Come, Jasper and Hermione," Aro said, offering his arm to Hermione. "We depart now."


	17. Atlanta

**A/N: Have I mentioned that this is darker than my other HP/Twilight crossovers? Could you have guessed when I had Hermione join the Volturi instead of heading towards Forks? Anyways, I remember a small mention of something happening in Atlanta a few years prior to Victoria in Seattle, so I sort of took that mention and turned it into this chapter. Not much in the way of Hermione/Jasper here, just wanted to give a little glimpse into the lives of the Volturi when they're not haunting Bella.**

**Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to review. I appreciate everything you're saying. So leave me a little note, please?**

* * *

They strolled, arm in arm, through the dark streets of Atlanta, ignoring the jeers tossed at them.

_'How about going out in the daylight sometime?'_

_'Crossed to the wrong side of the tracks?'_

_'Hey, hottie, ditch the chump and come get with a _real_ man!'_

They ignored them, strolling down the street with a purpose. They were about to turn down an alley when a police cruiser pulled up next to them.

"Excuse me, you two," one of the officers said, rolling down the window. "Best if you don't go down that alley. Strange things have been happening in this neighborhood. Might be a good idea to just get out of the area."

"Thank you, sir," Jasper smiled, pretending to speed up his gait. As soon as the car turned the corner they were back at the alley, walking down. In front of them they saw Felix, who turned and winked at them before turning down a different alley.

"I guess this makes this alley ours," Hermione said, turning down the next one. They walked down the deserted passage, darting around fallen trash cans, inhaling deeply as they went.

"Wait," he muttered, stopping over a manhole. "Do you smell that?"

It was faint, but she could definitely smell another vampire, possibly more coming from below them. He bent down and lifted the cover off. The scent hit them strongly.

"Are you ready for this?" he asked, looking down into her face.

"Most certainly," she replied with a confident nod.

"Be ready to move."

"Just keep your hand on my arm so I can get us out of there quickly if need be."

He slipped through the hole first, and caught her when she followed. A wave of her wand and the cover hid their entry point. He was sniffing the walls.

"It's stronger this way," he said, looking to her right. They walked, arm in arm, down the dark sewer, staying on the narrow walkway. They passed a decomposing body stuffed in a large crack.

"We must be getting close," she muttered, grabbing his arm tighter.

"Thought you'd be doing this without me?" Felix's voice sounded behind them.

"Never crossed our minds," Jasper lied, continuing down the passage. A few hundred yards more and they suddenly heard voices.

"We're going to need to work with them if we plan on traveling to Texas anytime soon," a male voice sounded.

"How am I supposed to work with them? I can barely keep their heads on!" a female voice replied.

"Hush," another male voice, more authoritative this time. "We can't hope to take Huston if we can't move them."

"Well, what do you propose we do?" the first voice grumbled.

"I think..." the voice trailed off. There were soft, creeping footsteps, and they stopped dead, standing flat against the wall. Suddenly a large male vampire jumped into view, crimson eyes staring widely at them.

"They're here!" he hissed before launching himself at Felix, who knocked him to the side of the tunnel with a well-placed backhand, causing the concrete to crack. A female and male were suddenly at the entrance to the tunnel, hurtling themselves towards the trio.

"Run!" Hermione shouted, turning back towards the way they came. Jasper's hand was around her wrist as they pelted down the tunnel, Felix two steps behind them. "Back to the rest! We know where they are!"

The words served their purpose. The trio pursuing them fell back, letting them run through the tunnels without being chased. When they felt it was safe to do so they made their way back onto the streets, moving quickly through the shadows out of town, heading due West until they came across a large State Park. Ducking through trees they finally came to a clearing by some ruins, where Aro and Caius were perched, awaiting their return.

"They heard us," Jasper announced. "Gave up the chase the moment Hermione said it. I'm sure they're going to get their fellows. They'll follow our scent out here. They know we're here to challenge them, but they don't know we're with you."

"Very good," Aro smiled, holding out three cloaks. Hermione, Jasper, and Felix each took theirs and moved their pendants to the outside of their clothes before wrapping the fabric around themselves.

"How long do you think it'll take them?" Caius asked.

"They won't take long," Jasper said. "If they take too long they run the chance of being on the defensive. Fifteen minutes, half an hour at most."

"I've got an idea," Hermione said, breaking free of the group. She ran around the clearing, pointing her wand at the ground, muttering the same words repeatedly. As she ran a blue line appeared on the ground, glowing until she completed the circle. It flashed once and was gone.

"What was that?" Aro asked, reaching automatically for her hand.

She touched her fingers to his, and he smiled.

"A containment charm!" he exclaimed.

"A favorite for wizards and witches wishing to keep their grounded children in their homes or rooms," she beamed, happy at his excitement.

"Once it is crossed, you cannot get back out without being let out," Aro explained. "Once they come into this clearing, they'll be stuck here."

"Wonderful!" Caius beamed.

"Yes, well done, Dear One," Aro said, running a finger down Hermione's face. "You and Jasper have already proven quite useful."

"Thank you, Master," Jasper bowed his head quickly in respect.

"Thank you," Hermione repeated the gesture, but not the title. Aro seemed unconcerned with her refusal to call him by the name, though she wasn't sure if he thought it was only a matter of time or not.

The group lined up, Aro at the center with Renata in her usual place right behind him. Caius stood to his right, and Hermione to his left. Jasper was close to Hermione, keeping an eye to make sure Felix, who was standing beside him. Alec stood to Caius' right, Demetri looking bored next to him.

"They're here," Demetri announced in a low voice twenty minutes later. One by one vampires entered the clearing. Four... seven... thirteen. Finally the three they had overheard entered.

"Oh, no," the woman whispered. Now that Hermione could properly look she could tell the woman was the eldest of the three. There was an old-fashioned subtlety to her clothes and hair, and her eyes weren't as bright of a crimson as her companions, and downright dull compared to the newborns flanking them.

"What?" one of the males asked.

"They aren't the Texans," she muttered. "It's the Volturi."

The two beside her suddenly looked nervous, but there was no change in the snarling newborns. Hermione felt almost bad. They were about to be destroyed by an enemy they had never been warned of. No one had told them the rules. No one explained to them that their activities could get them destroyed. They were disposable, what was the point in telling them about the Volturi? They knew only two things- death and fighting. And right now all they saw was seven vampires standing before them, barely holding their stances in their anticipation of the fight that would never happen.

"We have heard news of your little group in our city," Aro started, and suddenly the newborns looked confused. "And we are not pleased."

"We are sorry..." the woman stuttered.

"What is the purpose of having so many newborns in one city?" Caius interrupted.

"We..." the woman could barely start a sentence, her stammering was so severe.

"Step forward!" Aro commanded. "And you two, as well," he added, motioning to the two males next to her.

Very slowly the trio moved forward to the center of the clearing, but were unwilling to get closer than halfway to the group. Hermione could see the terror in the woman's eyes. She must know there was no getting out of the situation alive.

"Come, Hermione," Aro motioned for her as he, Caius, and Renata stepped forward to meet the trio.

"You and this group of young ones have been accused of causing twenty-two confirmed deaths, and are suspect in a dozen or so disappearances," Caius started before the trio could say anything. "Do you deny this information?"

"Well, we have..."

"Allow me," Aro said, reaching for the hand of one of the two males, who automatically held his hand out to meet in the middle. Aro listened to the man's thoughts for a moment, then dropped his hand.

"It seems that Ruth here was, like you, Jasper, a survivor of the Southern Wars. And that she and Thomas here are harboring a grudge against a clan in southern Texas. They thought they'd start an army here, away from the worst of the wars, then move them to southern Texas to seek their revenge. They convinced Juan to join up, promising large hunting grounds, and he has been doing most of the turning, going out of town to find his targets, getting them through those first few days away from the group, then bringing them back, hoping if he spent a few days with them they'd be less likely to destroy each other. It seems to have paid off, they haven't sustained heavy losses, but they were also waiting to train them until they had a couple more. Pity they haven't been controlling them better, they might have just been rival to your coven, Jasper.

"Thank you," he nodded to the trio. "We are going to go deliberate."

Hermione shot the group one last sympathetic look before following Aro, Caius, and Renata back towards the group. She saw Aro give an almost imperceptible nod to Alec as they reached the line again.

"When you go out on your own missions it will be you making these decisions, Hermione," Caius started, drawing her attention from the line of newborns who seemed to be going slack and distant one by one. "What say you?"

She swallowed, studying the faces around her. She wasn't sure what she wanted to say. On the one hand she didn't want to destroy the young ones, they probably had no idea what they were doing was wrong and would get them killed. On the other hand they had broken the law, and they leading trio at least had to be punished severely. And if they destroyed the only ones in control the problem would only get worse. Innocent humans would die.

"They have broken the law. And according to the law the lot of them are supposed to be destroyed. I say we carry it out as quickly as possible," she replied, looking at the ground.

"I agree," Aro nodded.

"The law claims them," Caius assented.

"This may be a good chance for us to do a little experiment," Aro said, looking down at the pocket Hermione's wand was sitting in. "To see which tricks of yours work, Dear One."

"I don't want to make them suffer," she said firmly.

"It may be quicker this way. There is a curse I saw, through your memories. _Avada Kedavra_."

She bit her lip, not wanting to cast the curse.

"The alternative is ripping them apart bit by bit and burning the pieces," Jasper said, appearing by her side.

Hermione nodded. "I will try it once," she announced.

Cloak flowing gently around her ankles in the slight breeze, she turned slowly, taking a few calming breaths, then started across the clearing. She came to rest ten feet across from the trio, now standing, vacant shells of themselves under Alec's power, and she stared at the woman. Her burgundy eyes were unfocused, her jaw slightly slackened, her body as limp as possible while still standing. Hermione forced herself to focus on the news articles she had read on the plane ride over. Twenty-two people were dead because of her grudge. A man about to be married. A teacher, beloved by her students. A high school boy. A pregnant woman. Their only crimes being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Something was changing in her brain. A hatred of what the woman had done. Not only were the dead humans caused by her group among her sins, but now the thirteen young ones would have to die for her greed.

The rage flooded from her brain and down her arm. She lifted her wand, cutting it swiftly through the air while her mouth formed the words: "_Avada Kedavra_!"

The woman didn't move, the emotions in her eyes never changing as her body was burned from the inside out. In less than a second she was nothing but ash, a small pile on the ground, occasionally blowing away in the wind.

"Fantastic," Aro whispered, not bothering to disguise the excitement in his voice. She looked back to see him and Caius looking at her with unbridled delight written across their faces. There was no hiding the fact that their most valued guard member was now standing in front of them.

"Continue," Caius nodded, and Hermione turned around to fire the curse twice more, taking care of the rest of the elder vampires.

"I didn't come all this way to watch her have all the fun, Master," Felix growled.

"My apologies!" Aro laughed. "I was caught up in the moment. This is quite exciting. Let's build a fire, perhaps it's a good idea for Hermione to learn the regular way of doing things."

Hermione Summoned wood and kindling from their surroundings, piled them where the trio once stood, and with a final wave of her wand the fire was roaring.

"Come," Jasper's hand was suddenly on her waist. "I will show you."

Demetri, Felix, and Alec were in their element. Each was standing by a newborn, wrenching body parts off and tossing them into the flames, which were now pouring out purple incensed smoke. Jasper stopped at another newborn, and Hermione avoided looking in the vacant face.

"Head first," Jasper muttered, grabbing the newborn by the back of the head and jaw. Hermione turned away as Jasper twisted, and winced at the metallic screech that followed. When she looked back he was tossing the dismembered head into the fire. "They body can move without the head, but it doesn't know where you are, and it makes it much easier. If you're in hand-to-hand combat and can't get the head the arms are the next best. It's very difficult for them to tear you apart without arms. Legs will work, it's hard to move quickly without them, but then their arms are still free and can do much damage. Would you like to do the rest?"

She stepped forward tentatively and grabbed an arm. Bracing her foot against the rest of the body she pushed with her leg and pulled with her arms, and with the same metallic screech the arm came free from the body. With a look of disgust she threw it into the flames.

"I'll stick with my method, thanks," she muttered, leaving him to complete the job as she moved back across the clearing.

"May I?" Aro asked, offering his hand. She brushed hers against his and allowed him to examine her thoughts since they arrived in Atlanta.

"It takes some getting used to, Dear One," he smiled warmly at her. "Give it time. You'll adjust. You did those three a great service. Alec can stop them from reacting, but they can still feel everything."

She bit her lip as she looked back at the four men, who were quickly moving through the newborns. Felix and Demetri were joking happily as they were doing their jobs. She turned away again.

"We're finished, Master," Alec announced a few minutes later.

"And not a moment too soon," Aro smiled. "The sun is about to come up. We will return to the hotel for the day, and depart back to Volterra after dusk. Well done."

"Master?" Jasper started. "We'll be returning to Volterra, but I'd like to do something first."

Aro looked intrigued, and held out his hand. Jasper touched it for a moment, and Aro smiled.

"Very good. Three weeks?"

"At the most," Jasper nodded.

"Return with us today, and you may go tomorrow."

"Thank you, Master."

They group departed in a swift line, running towards the secluded luxury hotel they had checked into the night before. Hermione wondered the whole time what Jasper was planning to do, but Aro insisted on monopolizing her day and she didn't have the chance to ask.


	18. Oldest Friends

**A/N: Ah, I couldn't leave you where I had, because most of the guesses I heard were off the mark. I couldn't leave you hanging after that. I had it mostly done, but I had to go see 'Alice in Wonderland', which I'll have to see again when there's not screaming, terrified children and idiot parents in the audience. But I'll leave that rant for a more appropriate audience.**

**Thank you for the excellent feedback and interest in this story. I'm so excited for it, and I promise a VERY long ride. Maybe even the longest I've ever written.**

**Enjoy, and please review.**

* * *

They left the next night, moving North as fast as their legs would take them.

"Where are we going?" Hermione asked as they crossed into Tennessee.

"Can you trust me on this?" he asked.

"I guess. But if you let me in on the secret I can Apparate us there and we won't have to hunker down for the day."

He grabbed the trunk of a tree, using it to spin around and meet her face to face. She just managed to stop before crashing into him.

"I kind of like spending time alone with you," he muttered against her hair, causing a tingle to shoot down her spine. "I thought the sentiment was mutual."

"It is..." she managed, breathing in his scent. Damn him, he was good.

"Abandoned house? Vacant apartment? Or should we go old-fashioned and find a nice, dark cave?" he smiled, pulling away from her and looking Northwest, where she could hear the sounds of a town or city in the distance.

"Suburbs of Nashville," he told her, noticing her straining to hear. "Pretty far out, though. Twelve miles away."

"I have a tent," she muttered, starting to rummage in her small bag.

"Camping. I like the idea," he smirked, craning his neck to see inside the bag.

She located the tent and pulled it out. With a wave of her wand it erected itself, standing firm against the winds blowing through the trees. She cast a few protective spells, then led the way inside. Jasper was floored at the sheer size of the interior, and without a word he went about examining every inch of the inside.

"More men would have joined up if we offered tents like these," he finally said as she dropped onto the couch, a book about an ancient war written in Runes clutched in her hand.

"Join the army, get a kick-ass tent," she rolled her eyes. "If only it were that easy."

"May I?" he asked, eying the spot next to her.

"Have I ever told you no?" she pretended to roll her eyes, but she couldn't help a smile crossing her face. She secretly loved that he was a gentlemen who respected her personal space, and was thrilled each time he asked if he could enter her private quarters or invade her space.

"You just may one day, and I would hate to upset you by not abiding by your wishes," he replied, laying across the couch and resting his head in her lap. Not knowing how to translate a single rune he had asked her to read the book to him, and she obliged. At first they sat across from each other, her feet occasionally resting innocently on his thigh. Then he moved next to her, watching her face with such devotion and interest she was sure she'd be blushing cherry red if she could. One day he asked for permission to place his head in her lap, and it was their new routine. She liked the closeness of the position, but it didn't feel like he was pressuring her for more. He was still being careful, and she could feel her wall crumbling brick by brick. There were gaps now, threatening to bring that whole wall down, but her mind was putting up one hell of a fight. She wanted to get over her first year. She wanted to get used to life in Volterra and what it was like to go on missions. She set all sorts of milestones she felt she needed to meet before she could think about having anything more than a casual relationship. But Jasper was making it difficult.

"Are we ever going to go see where you were made?" she asked before they started reading.

"There's a good chance the Volturi will be back there soon. It's been thirty years. They're long overdue for a little housecleaning," he replied with a shrug. One of his hands came up to absentmindedly stroke the bit of exposed skin where her shirt didn't quite meet her pants. She felt her wall start to strain.

"So we're not going by ourselves?"

"Not if I can help it. There's still war going on down there. Probably always will be, unless the Volturi ever make the decision to go down there, put three or four years of hard work into it, and clean up the whole lot of them rather than just the problem spots. You saw how we got that group in Atlanta to follow us. That's how it is. If they see us, they'll follow us, not stopping until there's a showdown. We're a threat, cloaks or no. I'm not risking you, Hermione."

She bit her lip, knowing there was no point in arguing. And she wasn't sure how much she actually wanted to see where he had kept and trained dozens, maybe hundreds of newborns.

"Maybe, after a few years and some time to adjust you could take me on a tour of everywhere important to your war."

"Yeah, sure," she muttered noncommittally. She looked at the book, but didn't feel like translating. She put it down, and started to twist her body. He moved quickly, allowing her to lay face-to-face with him on the suddenly wider couch. One of his arms wrapped under her body, holding her closely. The other hand was playing lazily with the hemline of her shirt. She curled one arm under her head so she could look clearly into his eyes, and placed the other hand on his shirt halfway between his arm and his waist.

"Tell me about your time in the army. The Confederate army," she quickly clarified.

Even though he had told her half a dozen times before he launched into the tale with enthusiasm. She closed her eyes, getting lost in his soft, soothing voice for a while. She wasn't sure when she started letting her feelings command her body, but before he was halfway through with the tale she felt herself getting closer to him, her hand tightening on his shirt, her face turning towards his.

And then their lips met in a dance they knew so well. A cautious, slow-moving dance against each other. Not what Jasper wanted, but something he would take until she was ready for something more.

And then her body betrayed her. The wall didn't matter anymore, she vaulted over it as she pushed herself deeper into the kiss. It didn't take him a fraction of a second to respond, pulling her tightly to him, tongue demanding access. She accepted, and allowed her tongue to tango with his. Finally getting what he had been waiting for his arms wrapped tightly around her body, holding her tightly to him. She wrapped one of her legs around his, allowing her emotions to take hold for a while.

He rolled over, resting on top of her, and his lips strayed from hers, kissing along her jaw and down her neck, then back up to her lips again. Her hands wrapped in his shirt, her body screaming for more, but when his hand found the buttons to her shirt she pulled away.

"No, Jasper," she whispered, looking into his eyes. "Not yet," she breathed.

There was a wave of disappointment that she wasn't completely sure came from the empath. Even if it had there was a smile still plastered across his face.

"Kissing is acceptable, though?" he murmured.

"More than acceptable," she nodded before his lips crashed back into hers.

* * *

They reached Chicago just after midnight, and skirted through the dark alleys and between buildings, moving quickly, but appearing to be nothing more than two very fast walkers. The only time they ran full speed was when they crossed a large rail yard, and Hermione was sure they had been noticed by an engineer who sounded his horn and passed by looking confused and slightly terrified.

They came up at the back entrance of a shabby-looking five-story building. The doors and windows had been boarded up long ago, but it was easy to see where people had been sneaking in. And she could smell the sweet scent of another vampire hanging around one hole in particular.

"Put on your cloak," Jasper whispered, smiling mischievously.

"We're on a mission?" she asked in surprise.

"No. Just go with it, okay?"

She wrapped her cloak around her shoulders, fastening it at her throat and raising the hood. Jasper carefully placed her pendant where it was visible, then led the way through the hole.

The floor inside was caked in dust and debris, but there were some distinct footprints. In one corner there were the signs that someone had called the abandoned building home for a while, but had left long ago.

"The homeless won't stay here anymore. Their fellows kept disappearing for a while," Jasper murmured, barely loud enough for her to hear. "They say it's haunted, call it 'Death's Residence'. Teenagers occasionally stayed the night here to prove how tough they are, but after one of them disappeared even they haven't been back."

They made their way up a set of stairs that looked like it was threatening to collapse at any moment. He paused at every landing, taking in the scent. They made it to the top floor and walked slowly down the hallway, careful not to make a sound. When they reached the final door on the right he pressed his ear to the door for a moment, then re-adjusted his hood so most of his face was obscured.

"Follow me closely," he breathed, taking a step back. Less than a second later is foot slammed into the door, shattering part and causing the other part to swing wide. He stepped quickly inside.

"Shit!" a male vampire jumped up, looking terrified. He quickly blocked a confused looking female vampire with his body, and both were growling in low, defensive positions.

"We're innocent!" the woman hissed. "You have no reason to be here!"

"You have no cause to do anything to us!" the man added. "We've done nothing wrong!"

"Nothing wrong... except being extremely gullible," Jasper said, lifting his hood.

"You bastard!" the woman was across the room in one bound, trying to box him over the head. Jasper was easily ducking her.

"What's the matter? It's not like you can have heart attacks," he smirked.

"We certainly would have, if we could have," the man smiled. "Peace, Charlotte."

"Peace, hell, I should rip his head off," the woman snarled. Hermione held a smile at the thought of the tiny, white-blonde woman trying to take down Jasper who was, as Aro had called him, 'one of the greatest physical fighters ever seen'.

"We have company, my dear," the man also had white-blonde hair that he wore long, reminding Hermione for a moment of Lucius Malfoy.

"Oh," she said, turning to focus for the first time on Hermione. "My apologies, dear."

"No apologies necessary. I'd rip his head off, too. Had I known this was what he was planning I would have changed his mind," Hermione replied.

"I'm Charlotte," the woman stepped forward, kissing each of Hermione's cheeks. "And this is my husband, Peter."

"I'm Hermione. Pleasure to meet you both," Hermione nodded to Peter, who stepped forward to kiss her hand.

"She is quite fetching, Jasper," Peter smiled at his oldest friend. "Did you meet her in Volterra?"

"Not quite," Jasper frowned. "I met her on the way, while I was traveling through England."

"How fortunate, to come across what you were looking for on a stop on the way," Peter looked delighted.

"Er... I kind of _made_ what I was looking for," Jasper muttered.

"I must hear this story, but we were about to leave to go hunting. Would you care to join us?"

Jasper looked to Hermione, who nodded. It had been twelve days, which was now her norm between meals as it was the amount of time between the meals in Volterra.

"I'll take Hermione," Charlotte stepped forward, taking Hermione's wrist and, before she could protest, led her from the room.

"Peter and Jasper have a tendency to dwell on the old days, and skim over some of the more recent history," she said as they paused before the exit of the building so Hermione could shed her cloak. "I'd rather get the story from you. Come, we'll go East. The boys have a tendency to turn South. I know, we'll go to Navy Pier. Have you ever been?"

"No. I've never really been to the States," Hermione said, feeling overwhelmed that this woman she met minutes before was being so friendly to her.

They started walking down the street, crossing a river and heading towards the taller buildings.

"How long have you known Jasper?" Charlotte asked.

"Well, he turned me about four months ago..."

"Four months!" she sounded surprised. "You are remarkably controlled."

"Everyone keeps telling me that," she muttered.

"It varies for all of us. Please continue."

"I knew him for a few weeks before that. Well, knew him in the sense that he was trying to kill me. So, I guess that's more knew _of_ him."

"He was trying to kill you?"

"I was his singer. And always just out of his grasp."

"How did you manage to elude him?"

Hermione glanced around, making sure no one could hear before whispering, "I'm a witch."

Charlotte's steps faltered, but she quickly regained composure. "A real one? With a wand and everything?"

"Yes."

"They must really like you in Volterra."

"They do," she answered quickly, then searched for a change of subject. "You know Jasper from the wars?"

"Yes, Peter and I both do. He oversaw us both, for a lack of a better term."

"Did he... make you?"

"No, Jasper never made any himself," she chuckled. "That was all Maria's doing. You could imagine how Jasper would feel, being surrounded by those who are constantly thirsty. There's no way he would have been able to control his thirst long enough being around the newborns all day. He could work with them, control them, but he could never make one."

Hermione didn't know why that information was comforting to her.

"What I ask next comes solely out of a feeling of obligation to my dearest friend, and yes, that's what I consider Jasper to be. How would you define your relationship with him?"

"Right now, I guess I'd call him my boyfriend. I'm sure there's a better term out there for it, but I'm not sure."

"Do you think he could be your mate? In time, of course."

Hermione bit her lip and continued walking in silence. She wouldn't answer the question because she couldn't answer the question. She still had the milestones she wanted to reach first, but part of her was starting to not care about the milestones.

"Too much, too soon?" Charlotte chuckled as they made it to Navy Pier. "I keep forgetting how young you are. I know how they dine in Volterra. I hope you're not too rusty."

"It's only been a couple months," Hermione laughed.

"Good. Because I believe I just spotted a couple targets."

She followed the older vampire's gaze and saw a couple mid-twenties men roughing up a couple girls trying to pass them. As two were keeping the girls from passing a third slipped the wallet out of one of their purses.

"Jasper always preferred the bottom rung," Charlotte smirked.

"I tend to agree," Hermione muttered as they started forward.

* * *

Peter and Jasper had hunted before starting their talk. They left the bodies of two gang members burning in a dumpster as they walked back to the apartment building.

"How did you know we were here?" Peter asked.

"You're predictable. The same loop spread out over six years. If you weren't here I would have gone to Des Moines," Jasper replied.

"That's where we would be next," he frowned.

"The same thing, over and over. Never changes."

"Changes slightly," he corrected. "Rumor has it a large coven is moving into the Pacific Northwest. We're trying to avoid large covens. That's why we haven't been to Alaska. We went once, and found there was a big coven up there, so we're avoiding the place. But enough about us. You obviously made it to Volterra."

"I was accepted pretty quickly. I can't deny they wanted Hermione much more because of her magic, but I knew enough about the Southern Wars, and my ability is strong enough they would have kept me either way."

"Leave it to you to go off looking for a vampire and find a witch," he chuckled.

"Gave me one hell of a runaround, too," he smiled. "I honestly thought I was in for a several year-long chase."

"Why'd she give up?"

"She expected me to kill her," he muttered, the smile disappearing. "She's haunted by demons you and I can't begin to fathom."

They walked for a while, the sound of their footfalls echoing off the buildings around them their only company.

"I'm glad you came back to tell us where you had been," Peter muttered. "Charlotte was worried, but she wanted you to go because she felt you needed this."

"I did. I don't like worrying her. She's a good soul. But being around you two and the feelings you have for each other made me too lonely. I needed a change of pace."

"You needed to be back in a structured environment," he snorted.

"It helps. Even with the feeding. Hermione explained it well. Everyone who goes in there is going to die anyways, it's best I take one or two from the group than go out and kill another one. It helps to feel like I'm saving one life when I take another."

"Hermione seems wise."

"Well beyond her years."

"Is she the one?" he looked over in curiosity.

"Most certainly," he replied immediately.

"Good," he smiled, patting his arm. "It's time you had a little happiness. "

"More like a lot," he smiled as Hermione and Charlotte rounded the corner ahead of them, and he saw Hermione's face light up.


	19. Immortal Child

**A/N: I had a plan for another chapter with Peter and Carlotte, but when I started writing it I realized how much filler it was, and decided to scrap it and move on. So if this moved too quickly, I'm sorry. This chapter might seem a little random, but it is important for later.**

**Enjoy, and please review.**

* * *

They spent two weeks in Chicago with Peter and Charlotte, then said their goodbyes with promises to meet up once a year or so. Hermione had found the meeting somewhat enlightening- a group of vampires in a completely informal setting. Talking as old friends would be expected to talk, passing advice to the youngest. If it wasn't for the fact they were staying in a moldering old building, emerging at night to take in the sights of the city, and their one final hunting trip before leaving it was nearly human. A much different environment than Volterra. And different was good. Jasper must have noticed how much she liked the atmosphere, because right before they left he asked if she wanted to start living a nomadic lifestyle. She refused, saying that while she liked sightseeing and visiting friends, she needed structure and predictability for a while.

So they made their way back to Volterra a few days before schedule, arriving in Florence at dusk and Apparating into the front lobby as soon as the coast was clear. Gianna jumped in shock as they appeared out of thin air.

"Hermione! Jasper! Thank God you're back," she panted, trying to catch her breath. "First, take this," she said, tossing a cellular phone towards Hermione with no doubts Hermione would catch it before it hit the ground. "Aro is very upset with me, said I should have given it to you before you left on the last mission. How was I to know you weren't coming back? But that's neither here nor there, they just started in the main chamber. You need to get in there."

"Thank you," Hermione called as they bolted down the hallway. She barely had enough time to throw on her cloak before Jasper was wrenching the door open, and they hurried inside.

"Oh, Hermione! I'm so glad you're here," Aro smiled widely and walked towards her. She touched her hand to his, letting him look over her thoughts since they left Atlanta. "Seems like you had a wonderful time, but it is something we'll have to discuss later. We have business right now."

"Yes, Aro," she nodded, turning to look in the middle of the room. Three adult vampires, a black haired woman, a redheaded woman, and a black haired man were standing in a tight circle, protecting a fourth vampire, a brown haired woman, clutching what looked to be a two-year-old boy with short-cropped blonde hair. She was confused for a second until the child turned his head and looked at her, and she saw his eyes were the same bright crimson as her own. She couldn't hold in a gasp as she watched the beautiful boy study her, then go back to clutching the woman holding him.

"An Immortal Child," Jasper whispered.

"You've heard of them, then," Aro nodded.

"I haven't," Hermione looked towards Jasper, who was flinching and looking purposefully away from the tiny vampire.

"I'm sure you can figure out most of the story. A child is turned into a vampire by an adult. The child stops growing and maturing... eternally the way they were made. But with the same desires as the rest of us. Should they tantrum they can destroy buildings. If they want blood they attack whichever human is nearest with no regards for secrecy. A big threat to our world."

"They cannot be taught?"

"Unfortunately, no."

She studied the group around the child, who was now starting to fuss and fight against the woman's restraining arms.

"They came here voluntarily?" she asked in disbelief.

"The redhead and the black-haired male caught the brown haired woman with the child, and wanted to come and explain. They think we may show leniency towards their 'mother' if they explain."

"And the law?" she asked, now unable to look at the child.

"Making an Immortal Child is against our laws. There is no leniency," Caius said, appearing next to them.

At this the woman holding the child began to wail. "Please! You cannot take my son from me! You cannot destroy him! He is just a child!"

"Silence!" Caius snapped. "I find it hard to fathom that you had no idea about the laws regarding this abomination you have made."

"I can control him! Please, just give me a chance!" the woman was hysterical.

"We shall deliberate," Aro announced turning to Caius and Marcus. Hermione saw Alec start to concentrate and knew it was only a matter of seconds before the group was silenced forever.

"There is no argument about the child and it's creator," Caius muttered.

"No, there isn't," he sighed. "Nor will there be on the black-haired woman. She will fight us if we try to destroy the child. But the other two are another story. They are mates, very loyal to each other, and truly had no knowledge of the child. Once they knew they brought him and his mother here, even though they knew their mother would probably be destroyed."

"It makes no difference," he waved his hand dismissively. "They did not destroy the thing themselves, they are just as guilty as the others."

"But they brought them here. Should that count for something?"

"Perhaps. But should we chance them being upset and trying to retaliate? We should not give them the chance," Marcus muttered, looking as if he were ready to leave.

"Perhaps we should ask Hermione," Aro said, beckoning for Hermione to join them. She couldn't stop the look of surprise crossing her face as she stepped towards the trio. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Jane leaving in a hurry, scowl evident upon her face.

"Yes?" she asked as she reached the group.

"What do you think, Dear One?" Aro asked, placing a hand on her arm. Hermione knew it was to keep her honest.

She thought hard for a moment, being selective about what she let slip through her mental barriers to Aro. Finally she muttered, "Obviously the woman broke the law, and the law says she must be destroyed. And the child..." her voice stuttered, "the child can't be taught, and the law says he must be destroyed as well. But I'd like to speak to the other three before I pass judgment."

"Of course," he nodded, motioning for her to step forward. She walked up to the red headed female first, but the woman's face was slack, her eyes glassy and vacant.

"Alec, it helps if they're present if I wish to speak to them," she said, looking at him and rolling her eyes.

"Sorry, _Mistress_," he hissed in such a low voice she was sure only she could hear it. She rolled her eyes at his sarcasm, but a moment later the woman came out of her trance.

"What's going on?" she asked, staring with wide, terrified eyes into Hermione's face.

"I have a few questions, and I ask that you be completely truthful with your answers," she muttered, trying to keep the conversation as private as possible.

The woman nodded once with a confused look on her face. She must have heard that few lived after Alec used his ability on them.

"You had no knowledge of the child?"

"No. We followed Augusta one night and she came to a secret, well-hidden cave she had blocked up with large, heavy stones. She pushed some of these aside, and we could see him. Tiny, and having a tantrum. He ran towards the village, how fast he is!, but came across a couple campers before we reached them. We were able to stop him from getting to the village, but we could do nothing about the camping family..." she trailed off, looking towards the ground.

"Will you defend the child?"

"No. He needs to be destroyed, but I couldn't bring myself to be the one to break Augusta's heart."

"Will you defend Augusta?"

The woman inhaled and held it, eyes troubled. "I don't want her dead, but I know she broke the law. I know you're going to destroy her. I know we stand no chance should we fight. And I also knew this when I agreed to come here. I don't want to see her die, but I know I can't save her."

"Then why did you come?"

"I'm not ready to die. You would be coming for us soon. We couldn't keep him hidden forever. And my Kamal and I would die just for knowing," she whispered, eyes flickering towards the man.

"Thank you," Hermione nodded, then watched as Alec extended his reach back to the woman. She repeated the questions to the man, and got close to the same answers. He knew Augusta would die, as would the child, but as long as he and his mate had a chance their trip to Volterra was the only way they felt they might survive. He had tricked Augusta and Pari, the other woman, to coming to Volterra, saying that going there might actually save them and the boy. Finally she questioned the black-haired woman, Pari.

"Did you have any knowledge of the child before following Augusta that night?" she asked.

"I knew Augusta was planning on making one, but I didn't know she had. I suggested an orphan from one of the more overtaxed orphanages. I thought it would make it easier to steal a child without much notice," the woman said with no hint of remorse.

Hermione swallowed, but her eyes didn't betray what she was thinking. "Will you defend the child?"

"No. She made that little brat, and now she doesn't have time for the rest of us. I have been loyal to her over two hundred years, and she turns her back on me for that little shit."

Her face hardened. "Will you protect Augusta?"

"Yes. Because it should just be the two of us. Like it had been before those two joined us and messed everything up!" she snarled the last few words.

"Why did you come?"

"I can't kill the little bastard myself. She'd never forgive me. You do it, she has no chance to blame me for encouraging that little mistake."

"Thank you," she nodded, turning away and striding back to Aro, Caius, and Marcus.

"What say you, Hermione?" Aro asked.

"I believe the man and the one woman, but the black-haired woman will fight us. Best destroy her with her maker and the child."

"Why should we offer mercy?" Caius hissed.

"Because if we do, and it is known that we are open to the option there's much more of a chance we'll get more cooperation in the future."

"Why do we need cooperation? The way we have been doing it for hundreds of years has been working just fine."

"Ruling by fear?" her voice was growing louder. "That makes you nothing more than tyrants. And I didn't fight Voldemort to wind up serving under another tyrant... or three. Do your jobs, but show a little compassion for those two. They were forced into this situation, and they have dealt with it the best way they can think of. It might make it easier for others to approach us with news in the future, to gain trust in the community, to think that we can forgive a few mistakes."

"I agree with Hermione," Marcus said, glancing at her and locking gazes for a few seconds, the longest eye contact between them since she had started.

"As do I," Aro was quick to offer.

"Offer amnesty to them all, if you must. What is our point if we let criminals off?" Caius hissed, sweeping from the chamber.

"Don't worry about him," Aro placed his hand on Hermione's shoulders. "He was always the strictest of the three of us. You are quite right, and quite wise. Why don't you carry out our decision?" He turned her towards the group in the center of the room.

She couldn't meet his eyes, she was so confused by his behavior. Why had she been invited to participate in the decision in the first place? She stepped forward, and motioned for Alec to release the one woman and the man, who came back with fear and confusion written on their faces.

"You two are free to go, with the warning to choose your company wisely in the future. I talked them into amnesty this time, I'm not sure if I could do it twice," she muttered, looking at each of them.

"Thank you," the woman nodded.

"The others?" the man asked, unable to look at his fellows.

"You might want to leave quickly. I'm sure you won't want to see this."

They grabbed each other's hands and bolted for the door without another word or look. Hermione turned back to Aro and Marcus.

"Are you going to do it?" Aro asked. "Or shall we have the others?"

"I don't think I can destroy the child," she whispered.

"No matter. Have fun, gentlemen," he motioned, and immediately Felix, Alec, Afton and Jasper stepped forward. She walked out as the sound of ripping metal filled the chamber. She went to her private room, and shut the door, waiting for Jasper to finish. Her room was much different than when it was first given to her. It was now lined with books on all subjects, new ones, old ones, first-editions with pristine leather covers. They came from magical and Muggle shops alike, and she was happily working through them. Aro showed up every so often with another book, and they would talk. She knew Jane's problem with her, she was obviously Aro's new favorite. The two of them talked for hours, mostly about the past, sometimes about the magical world. Hermione talked with everyone but Jane and Marcus about their histories, and she was keen to know about everything they had seen first hand.

She went to go sit on her lounge chair, and noticed something sitting there. A parchment envelope with a small string strung through the corner. Her window was open, just enough for an owl to squeeze through. But the owl must have known this place was full of vampires, and left without a treat.

With shaking hands she picked up the letter. The writing was elegant, and familiar.

_Hermione Granger_

_Volturi's Chambers_

_Volterra, Italy_

"Draco," she whispered, tearing open the envelope and dropping onto the chair as she read.

_Hermione,_

_I know you said you needed some time alone, but being the only one who knows is overwhelming. I have kept your secret, but it has been difficult. I managed to just stop Harry and Lupin from coming down to Volterra. They wanted help in hunting down the one who killed you, and they thought the Volturi could help. I told them it was suicide, especially for Lupin. I had to placate Harry by telling him I'd take him there in eighteen months. I'll have to figure out what to do before then._

_Harry is, well, your death hit him pretty hard. He's not the same man he used to be. Do you remember what he was like right after Ron's death? That multiplied by ten. He blames himself for you getting killed. He said if he hadn't forced you to that club you never would have met the vampire. Ginny and Molly have been caring for him, he's all but moved into the Burrow. But I haven't talked to him much, because I'm not sure I'm not sure I disagree with him. Molly has been inviting mother, Aunt Andromeda, and I over much more since Lucius' death. I think she's trying to repair the shards of our family._

_I miss you, Hermione. More than I thought I would ever miss someone I used to hate. I hope you find what you're searching for, but at the same time I hope you don't, as I want you to come back. We need you around here. Everyone is putting on a brave face, but you can tell that they've all been affected. Morale in the Order is way down, if we had to do a mission right now I don't know if we could pull it off. Lupin, especially, is not himself. You messed him up. I understand why the two of you did what you did, but thinking you could walk away from it without changing was stupid and optimistic. He's been talking around the werewolf community, looking for your vampire. If you actually give a damn about him you should keep him close, or at least warn him he's on the werewolf hit list at the moment._

_Come back, Hermione. You don't belong there. Take your time to get over your newborn phase or whatever the hell you wanted to do in Italy, and leave. And don't listen to him. Remember he killed you, turned you into a monster. I'm sorry that my turning you down made you so upset you felt the need to run to him, but he's not good for you._

_Take care. I love you._

_Draco_

She read the letter three times before there was a soft knock on the door- Jasper's knock. She folded the letter and stuffed it into a book, then shoved the book onto the nearest shelf.

"Come in," she called softly.

Jasper opened the door, then rushed to her side as soon as he felt the emotions coming off her.

"Hermione? What's wrong?" he whispered into her hair as his arms wrapped around her.

"It's just... the child..." she lied.

He sat next to her, arms wrapped around her, calming her and kissing her cheek and jaw lovingly, not knowing about the letter that sat a few feet away from him. The letter which had thrown her mind into turmoil. She felt happy and welcome in Volterra, but she had no idea of the mess she left behind. And for once she couldn't think of a single thing she could do to help clean up that mess.


	20. Letters

She ignored the letter for over a month. It stayed tucked away in her book, which was now shoved behind a bunch of other books, out of sight, but unfortunately not out of mind. She spent a good amount of her time with Jasper exploring Italy or spending time in his quarters, away from the note and the thoughts and feelings that came with it.

But keeping her feelings hidden was impossible while she was seeing an empath. It was too easy for him to tell there was something bothering her, but he held his tongue hoping that she would talk to him when she was ready. It wasn't difficult for anyone to see she was avoiding her chambers and spending more time out or in his, and he could only assume that the reason for her distress was somewhere in that room.

She had taken to Apparating them to Rome every few days. She was fascinated with the history, and loved to explore the ruins. They had even gone on a few cloudy days when she could get a guided tour. And he went happily with, not just to spend time with her, but because his fascination with world history was growing to match hers, now that he was taking the time to look around he was spending as much time as she exploring.

She was laughing as she Apparated them back to ruins of the Ancient Roman theater in Volterra, which was usually a safe place to suddenly appear. He had cracked a joke at a rather rude bit of graffiti they had found near their Apparation point in Rome, and she had been mid-laugh when she pulled them through space to Volterra.

"It's nice to see a smile on your face," he said as he offered her his arm. She reached out, not for his arm, but for his hand, entwining her fingers with his.

"Have I not had one recently?" she asked, her smile not faltering.

"You have certainly had something disturbing you," he said, and she stopped dead.

"How long have you known?" she asked.

"After that night with the Immortal Child. I thought it was us destroying the child, but you have been avoiding your chambers, and I have to think there's something there that is disturbing you."

She sighed, dropping his hand and turning to sit on one of the old stone seats, now moss covered and crumbling. "Draco wrote me," she muttered.

He clenched his jaw as a quick flare of rage passed over him. But he fought his feeling, quickly returning to calm. There is no competition, he told himself. He sat next to her, placing an arm around her for comfort.

"I apparently left quite a mess behind," she muttered. "He said he and Harry are wrecks. According to him everyone took my death hard. I thought my death would just sink in with the rest. It wasn't like I had been myself before all this happened."

"You were loved. It's a natural reaction to feel some distress when someone you love dies," he whispered into her hair.

"I just feel extremely guilty. And I don't know what I can do. To ease Harry's suffering I'd have to show him what I am. And I'm not ready for that yet. And I feel like I've put such a burden on Draco's shoulders, since he's the only one who knows. And Harry was thinking of bringing Lupin down here, and then I'd have Remus' death on my head. I don't think I could handle that. I knew that he was protective, but I didn't know he'd be willing to come down here. It was only one time..." she trailed off so her last words were difficult for him to hear, she was turning away from him.

"Remus Lupin..." he muttered, brow furrowed. "I believe one of your books mentioned him, and something about 'unpleasantness', but I don't remember..."

"Remus is a werewolf," she said. "They cut that part out of the books, because they don't want to portray a war hero as anything less than a perfectly normal man."

"You consorted with werewolves?" he growled.

"Remus Lupin is a good man," she hissed.

"Fenrir Greyback nearly killed you! He did kill your friend!"

"And he deserved worse than what he got," she snapped. "But Remus is a kind, gentle soul who wouldn't hurt anyone consciously..."

"Werewolves don't do anything consciously! That's their nature. They are unpredictable, incontrollable beasts who would kill a friend as quickly as an enemy..."

"Stop!" she shouted, eyes wild. "That's the common thought, but every other time but the full moon they are people, and that doesn't mean they are horrible. Remus took the Wolfsbane potion every month, which meant when the full moon came he could curl up and sleep in the attic and let the phase pass without incident."

He stared into her eyes as he took one deep breath to calm himself. "I'm sorry," he said through clenched teeth. "I do not know Lupin, so I should not pass judgment. But if you value his life you best keep him from this place. They will not care what his character might be, they will just make sure he never leaves the city with a beating heart."

"I know. That's why I'm glad Draco is keeping him and Harry away. This is not a safe place for them to be."

There was a couple minutes silence, each of them too unsure of what to say next. She reached out for his hand again, their fingers automatically interlacing.

"Draco said I should warn you that Remus has been talking to the local werewolves, putting them on the alert for you. He said you're on their 'hit list'," she warned.

He laughed. "I'm not worried about a group of mutts."

She looked like she was about to chastise him, but thought the better of it and kept her tongue.

"What are you going to do about the letter?" he asked.

"I should write back," she said, kicking at some stones in front of her. "I've just been avoiding it as I'm not sure what to say."

"Say what you feel. If you want to go back, you should go back."

"Would you come with me?"

"Are you asking me?"

"I'm not sure what I want right now. I'm happy here. I feel it's a good place for me right now. Do I want to call it a permanent home? No. I want to feel free to leave as I wish. I'm not ready to leave yet. I still feel like I'm getting used to this life."

"I know you tire of hearing it, but you have shattered every expectation I've ever had for a newborn. Had you been like every other newborn I've worked with you would have attacked me when I upset you a few minutes ago."

"I know I am controlled. But that doesn't mean I know where I want to go with this just yet. And at least I feel like I have a purpose here. If I go back to England I'll never be able to find a job or be a full member of the Wizarding community again. It would probably be a fight just to keep my wand."

"Wherever you go, I'll follow," he promised.

She was silent for a moment. "Do you love me, Jasper?"

"Yes," he replied without hesitation.

She looked pained.

"I understand that you don't reciprocate. I hope that in time you will."

"I'm terrified to give my heart away."

"I understand. But unless you turn me away, I will not stop trying to win your affections. If I did not know your feelings my biggest worry right now would be how to court you properly, but I do know your emotions, and I feel like I can't court you because I'm afraid to push you over an edge that I can't see. And you're always so cautious about bottling your emotions, trying to keep them from me and anyone else who might figure things out and help you through them. You keep hiding everything and one day you'll snap."

"I care about you. Very much so. But I can't call it love, because I don't want to lie"

"I'll take whatever I can get," he muttered, pulling her to him. She let him claim her lips, softly at first, then more demanding. She pushed himself into him, feeling the emotions he was radiating and letting them take over her. The sky was getting lighter by the minute, so they quickly left to get out of the daylight.

As soon as they were back to their chambers she bid him good-bye and locked herself in her room. She sunk into the chair at her desk, drawing out a quill, some ink, and some parchment and started writing her thoughts onto paper.

_12 April, 2000_

_Dear Draco,_

_Thank you for writing. It was good to hear from someone from the magical world. I also need to thank you for stopping Harry and Remus from visiting. You're right, the results would have been tragic. I have enough influence that I would probably be able to save Harry's life, but Remus' would have been lost._

_I am fitting in well here, and have even been invited to participate in a recent decision. Aro is quite kind to me, and he, Caius, and I have talked extensively about our pasts. It is quite fascinating. Aro has also supplied me with a library to be proud of. I get along well with the wives, and am becoming good friends with Chelsea. I have to turn Felix down nearly every week, for I am seeing Jasper, who is the one who turned me. I will echo Aro's words here, don't be too harsh on him, he changed me with the best of intentions. He is a good man._

_I know you can't ask Remus to get the werewolves to back off without revealing my secret, so I will make sure that should I travel in the area that Jasper is by my side. We have no plans on performing any missions in the area, so I don't think we'll be visiting close enough to the werewolves any time soon._

_I cannot begin to apologize for the burden I've placed on you, but I must ask you to continue to continue to shoulder it alone. I am not ready for everyone to know yet. Perhaps when my control is a little less dubious I will be able to visit and explain things for myself, but now is not the time. I still have a tendency to lose control around blood, and I will not risk any of you. And should it get out that I am down here there will be no stopping Harry from coming down. Perhaps in the eighteen months, seventeen now, that you promised Harry I'll be ready to see you both without worry of attacking you, but let me make that decision when it is closer to that time. I know I have no right to ask, but could you please keep me informed about Harry? I'm worried about everyone up there._

_I hope that you are doing well. You are a bright boy and a good soul, albeit one hidden by a tough exterior. You deserve happiness, and I can only hope that you'll find it soon._

_Sincerely,_

_Hermione_

She sealed the letter, and addressed the envelope quickly. She dressed carefully, a long sleeve high-necked shirt, long pants, and gloves. She tucked her pendant into her shirt before covering herself with her cloak, then Apparated to a small wizarding town hidden near the Alps. Keeping her head down and staying in the shadows as much as possible she skirted along the storefronts until she came to the post office. Most the birds took off as she entered, leaving just one barn owl watching her almost curiously. The clerk appeared from the back, but jumped back, drawing his wand as he caught sight of her looking at him.

"Get out. I know how to destroy you," he said in a shaking voice that convinced her immediately that he was lying.

"I mean no harm," she replied, raising her hands and looking at him. "I only wish to mail a letter."

"We don't cater to your type here," he hissed, wand twitching.

"I have gold," she said, flashing a handful of coins. "More than enough to pay for the post. More than I need at the moment."

"Look around you, idiot girl. No bird will carry a letter of yours."

"How about that one?" she said, nodding towards the barn owl.

"That one was a waste of money. Half the time he's attacking the customer's hands. He doesn't deliver anything we give to him."

The bird ruffled his feathers and looked pointedly at Hermione.

"Would you deliver a letter of mine?" she asked the bird. When she looked at it the bird flew over to her shoulder, pecking a finger she raised to stroke it affectionately.

"Menace creature," the man hissed.

"Is he for sale?" Hermione asked.

"You can have the damn thing if you get out."

She tossed her gold onto the counter anyways. "Thank you," she nodded, leaving the shop quickly, the bird resting on her shoulder. She walked to the closest alley, then held up the letter towards the bird, who held it's leg out importantly.

"Menace creature, he says?" she chuckled, tying her letter to the bird's leg. "Perhaps your name should be Menace."

The bird nipped her ear, but not hard enough to hurt even a normal human.

"I'll take that as a yes. I wish for you to take this letter to Draco Malfoy. He's probably moved back to Malfoy Manor in Wiltshire, England by now. Wait for his reply. Is that alright?"

The owl responded by taking off. She watched until he disappeared over some buildings, then Apparated back to Volterra.

* * *

_29 April, 2000_

_Hermione,_

_Your bloody bird is a pain. He showed up with your letter, then sat on my bed and stared at me until I started a reply. It was creepy. If I didn't know better I'd say he was a vampire himself. But I guess if he's okay being a vampire's pet, he has to be a bit off his rocker. Can birds go crazy?_

_I have to say I'm disappointed in your last letter. I was hoping you wouldn't get along with them down there, no, I downright expected you to be unable to stand them and their lifestyle. How can the Hermione I thought I knew not be outraged at the massacres that go on down there? I guess you must have become institutionalized to them and their situation. It's how they get their disciples to stay there, to stay loyal. I never would have expected you to fall for their sweet talk._

_I'm also disappointed to hear about you and Jasper (I shuddered when I wrote that name). How different of a person are you that you are willing to become involved with someone who killed you? If I were stupider I would have thought I was writing the wrong Hermione. He made you what you are, and you forgive him like it's no big deal? You allow things to get too far, and there's no getting out of it. I've done enough research to know that when vampires choose a mate it is for eternity. Don't make a poor choice._

_As for Harry, he's still working through all this day by day. Some days he's happy, joking, almost like his old self, at least what I remember from happier times at Hogwarts, which I admit it's not much. But other days he doesn't get out of bed. He's put his Auror training on hold, and he's working part-time with George Weasley doing paperwork. He and Ginny are still together, but you can tell it's tough on her. She didn't expect to have to take care of him the way she is. Molly is being a mother to him, I think she's using him to peg up the hole left by Ron's and Fred's deaths. George is starting to get back to himself, he's even been seeing Angelina Johnson, because he says Fred wouldn't want him moping around. Remus is starting to calm down about you, but he's still upset. Andromeda is taking care of Teddy more often than not._

_I quit the other day. I couldn't spend any more time in a place still haunted by your presence. Harry's helped me get an apprenticeship in the Improper Use of Magic Office. They want my knowledge of the Dark Arts to assist in identifying and destroying Dark Artifacts. After a year apprenticeship I can be offered full employment. Other than that, I spend most of my time at the Manor with Mother. She's gotten over Lucius pretty well, but neither of us are ready to spend much time in public just yet._

_Take care, and think about what I said._

_Draco_

_

* * *

_

_10 May, 2000_

_Draco,_

_You seem to presume a lot about me and my current station in life. You know nothing about Jasper except for a short meeting. Don't think that you understand either of us or our situation just because you've done a little research. You have no idea what my life is like right now, so don't make any assumptions. If you want to know about life with the Volturi or what Jasper is really like, feel free to ask. Otherwise keep out of it._

_I'm glad you got out of that place. The only thing I hated more than that job was the thought of spending my days actually having to think about everything that happened in our lives. You were too good for that, and I know you'll have a successful career at the ministry. You just need to keep out of your father's shadow._

_Speaking of which I'm not sure if you really want to be staying at the Manor, or if you need to get out of that place. In my will I left my house to Harry, but from what I've heard there has been a problem with him claiming the property. I've gotten a couple form letters from the Ministry trying to find me, but I've been ignoring them. The general idea is that my name is on the death list, but for some reason my property won't transfer. So I guess my home is still mine, and so I give you full permission to use it. It will transfer to Harry in five years when I don't respond, but if you've been using it I'm sure he wouldn't put you out._

_I know you and Harry haven't had the best of relationships, but I can't tell you how grateful I am that you're keeping me informed about how he is. I miss you all very much. I've been doing some thinking, and Volterra might not be my permanent home. I want to come back, but until I feel like it will be a safe environment for myself, Jasper, and all of you I'm going to stay here. Right now I still can't be trusted around anything with a pulse for more than a minute or two._

_I miss you, and these letters are a ray of sunshine._

_Hermione_

* * *

_23 May, 2000_

_Hermione,_

_If the Manor held enough bad memories and bad energy, your house would be a thousand times worse. I will never forgive myself for what happened to you. Who would have thought that turning down sex would have had such drastic consequences? Had I said yes to you that night I may not have felt right about it in the morning, but you would still have a pulse. That will always be on my head._

_Harry spent the second anniversary hiding away somewhere. It wasn't in the Burrow or Grimmauld Place. We had all gotten together for some moral support, but he left early in the morning to 'take a walk' and didn't come back until after midnight. Molly was ready to send out a search party. That day wasn't good for most of us. We must have drank through half of Madam Rosmerta's stock of mead. George didn't say three words all day._

_You're right that I may base my ideas on my research about vampires, but I'm not sure that everything is fictional. I'm happy that you want to come back, but I will tell you that no one here wants to see Jasper. He took you from us. He's not welcome. Leave him behind, find someone else. You mentioned once some Felix character. I bet he's better for you than Jasper._

_Draco_

_

* * *

_

_7 June, 2000_

_Draco,_

_You have no idea what Jasper is like, so please stop making assumptions. If I choose to come back there's a good chance I'll be bringing him. If you don't like it, I don't have to stay. I can leave and you would never find me again. He helped me through all the emotions that came with the second anniversary. You don't know Felix, you don't know Jasper, and it seems like you don't really know me, so don't play matchmaker from afar._

_Hermione_

* * *

_15 June, 2000_

_Hermione,_

_I know you, probably better than anyone down there save for maybe Aro, because I've heard of his ability. And I think you're being daft. It seems like you have the mindset that you are a vampire, so you must be a certain way and act as they expect you to act, and you are not like that! Be better than what you are, be who you are._

_Draco_

* * *

_20 June, 2000_

_Draco,_

_We're departing on a mission to Mexico when the sun sets. I'll be out of touch for a while. I'm leaving Menace in Italy. I guess I'll write when I'm back._

_Hermione_

**A/N: (Down here for a change!) I know she's living in Italy, but I made the executive decision not to run through all sorts of Italian translators that wouldn't get it right anyways, so I'm writing everything in English and you'll have to realize that I know she'd be speaking Italian.**

**Do me a favor, and hit the little review button. I wasn't sure how the all-letter format of the second part of this would work out, so let me know what you think.**


	21. Defining Relationships

**A/N: I like writing Hermione as part of the Volturi, but I agree with some reviewers. Mission after mission would be repetative and boring. So I sort of skimmed over it, but there will be refernce to some of the events later on. Does that make sense? If not, I'll re-write this part after I've given up my not-so-sacred oath to abstain from coffee (I make this oath once a month or so it seems, and it never lasts more than a couple days. I don't know why I make the oath in the first place.)**

**I closed the Alice poll because I was writing a future chapter, and needed to write in her mate. So the decision is made, and I went with the will off the voters (which I admit was close, it was a two-vote difference). Alice's mate is.... going to be revealed in a later chapter. Sorry, got to have some secrets.**

**So, moving on, thanks to everyone who left a review so far. They really do motivate me to write, and I've recieved a really good response for this story. So enjoy, and please leave a review. And maybe I'll post the next chapter even quicker (as I'm sure some of you will be asking for after the ending to this chapter).**

Mexico was hot, and the days were long, making their work slow. Aro had split them up into three groups, himself, Jane, Renata, Corin, Felix and Santiago in one group, Marcus, Caius, Alec, Heidi, and Demetri in the second group, and her leading Jasper, Chelsea, and Afton in the third. They went after two covens each. The first coven Hermione's group had come across had decimated themselves to the point where there were only five remaining, and were hardly even a challenge. The final one of these, in a last-ditch effort to save her own life, had run into a house where a party was going on. Rather than destroy the revelers Hermione destroyed the vampire, then modified the memories of the humans, and ordered the rest of the group away despite their mutterings of the law. The second group had Jasper on edge, and Hermione knew Aro had sent them after this group for a reason.

"Looks like they've fled," Felix muttered as they came across the old farmhouse Jasper had led them to.

"They haven't fled," Jasper replied, leading the way around the back of the house. A large pile of ash was sitting there, faint wisps of smoke poking through at spots and disappearing almost immediately into the wind. "She's tried to destroy the evidence. We must have come before she was ready, normally she would have scattered the ashes."

"Where would she have gone?"

"She has a favorite place..." he trailed off, leading the way. They crossed a field, hopped over a mostly dry river, and made their way through a long stretch of desert before coming across a couple hills. Without hesitation he aimed for the two biggest hills, and stopped before the entrance to an old mine hidden between the two.

Hermione lit her wand and led the group inside. She could smell three different vampires, and followed the scent through the tunnels until they came across a large underground cavern. On the other side stood the three vampires- one small woman and two large men, standing and looking ready to fight.

"Oh, Maria," Jasper groaned. "So predictable."

"Jasper?" the woman said, starting across the cave. "Is that you?"

"Unless you believe your eyes and ears are playing tricks on you."

"I don't suppose they are. And I can say I'm not surprised to find you in present company. You never were one for the free and simple lifestyle."

"You got greedy," he said simply.

"I was trying to get some of my old glory back," she smiled. "After you left things went downhill. There was never another that could do as well as you. I found one with half your talent, but when things required us to move quickly, I thought it best not to leave the one with the best evidence against me alive."

"You kept your two most skilled as bodyguards, then?"

"Of course. I like living, Jasper. I'm not ready to give up without a fight."

"It is over, Maria," he sighed. "Do something with dignity for once in your life, and let us end it quickly."

"It doesn't need to be," she smiled, stepping towards him and reaching a hand to cup his face. Behind him he heard Hermione let off a soft snarl. He felt a shift in the mood, and he knew Chelsea was working on breaking down the bonds between the bodyguards and Maria.

"You and I did so well together. Come back to me, and we can relive our old glory."

"No," he said simply. "You can fight, or you can give yourselves up, which would make it easier."

"Please, Jasper..." she smiled sweetly. "Remember the good times."

"I try to forget. The worst day with Hermione is better than the best day here."

Hermione couldn't stop the look of shock that crossed her face, but she recovered quickly. She knew she and Jasper were getting more serious by the day, and that it was only a matter of time before she gave herself to him, but it was a shock to see how much his world revolved around her. How many of her feelings were hiding behind that wall she had constructed. What would flow through if she allowed that dam to break?

"You can't say they were all bad..." she smirked, and there was something in her eyes, the way she looked over at Jasper, that had Hermione seeing red.

"Enough with the talk," she growled. "You know why we're here, Maria, or you wouldn't have destroyed your army and hid yourself. If you want to try to fight, start it. If not, I'll make it quick."

Chelsea and Jasper looked at her in shock, but Afton chuckled in amusement, like he knew this was coming for some time.

With her final pleading look being ignored by Jasper Maria nodded once to Hermione, who brought her wand down in three swift motions, then left the cave without another word.

"I think someone needs some girl time," Chelsea said, faking a smile and grabbing Hermione's hand. "Girl time means away from you lot," she added to Jasper and Afton as they made to follow.

"I think we're supposed to get back to Aro as quickly as possible," Afton muttered. "As it is we won't be able to make it back to Mexico city tonight. We've only got two hours until sunrise."

"All the more reason we should just put it off until tomorrow. They can wait a couple extra hours. And don't you pull that on me," she hissed at her mate. Afton's gift was his power of persuasion- while he couldn't completely influence someone's free will, he could make someone who was undecided or not totally committed sway to his way of seeing things. "Not right now. I want to talk to Hermione. Why don't you two set up the tent or something? We'll be back in a while."

"Chel..." he started, but Jasper nudged him hard in the ribs. "Fine. Be back before the sun rises."

"I will," she said, stepping forward to give him a quick kiss.

"Don't worry about us," Hermione muttered to Jasper, who had grabbed her hand and was staring into her eyes. "I can take care of myself."

"I don't doubt it," he replied softly. "If you didn't notice, I'm on your side here."

"The tent is in my bag. And warn Afton that there's only so much magic can repair, so he needs to be gentle on that extra room."

"Yes, ma'am," he chuckled. "I love you."

She opened her mouth, but stopped herself before the words came out. Instead she pulled him down for a quick kiss, then followed Chelsea towards the hills.

"This seems safe," Chelsea announced as they reached a hilltop. A small town sat before them, mostly dark in the very early morning blackness, just a few lights in windows, a hospital, and a couple cars cruising the streets. "Don't want to be overheard by the men."

"That make it sound like we're about to have one of _those_ girl talks," Hermione grumbled, looking down at a distant police car.

"Yes, but I in no way mean to be harsh. I want to know how you feel about Jasper."

"I like him," she answered blandly.

"How much?"

"What do you mean?"

"Have you slept with him?" she asked, studying her friend's face.

"Not yet," she shrugged as if it were no big deal.

"Why not?"

She replied with another shrug.

"I've really tried to keep from interfering, but I can see what this is doing to Jasper. He knows your his mate, part of him knew it before he turned you or he wouldn't have bothered not killing you. But you've spent the better part of eight months keeping him at arms length."

"I'm still a newborn..."

"Don't hide behind that. You have more control than any newborn we have ever seen, and you know it. If it weren't for the brightness of your eyes I'd guess you were a decade at least. You've even stopped having problems walking around crowds, you can breathe freely. You're just making excuses to put off thinking about where you are with Jasper."

She bit her lip and looked pointedly away. Chelsea was right, but she wasn't going to admit it out loud.

"You need to be fair to him," she said, putting a hand on Hermione's shoulder. "He's been very patient. I don't need to know what you think, just promise you'll be doing a bit of thinking."

Hermione sighed loudly.

"I'm worried about both of you, Hermione. It's almost like you're afraid to have a bit of happiness. You're my best friend..."

"I am?"

"Yes. I've known all those others for centuries, and I've never felt the true bond that I do with you. And I know that what you're feeling is truly what you feel because I can't influence you the way I can everyone else."

"You can't?" she asked in surprise.

"Of course not. You didn't know that? None of us can. You can let Aro hear you, but you've shut him off, and I've never seen that before. He's asked us all to try to ambush you with our abilities, try to catch you at a time when you have no chance of putting up a defense. Nothing. And trust me, Alec and Jane have been trying. They're trying to prove that they are better than you in some aspect, but they've had no success. Demetri is going crazy, he says being around you is like trying to read a broken flight schedule at the airport. If he tries to focus on you when you're not near him he says that your location flips through all sorts of different places, like the essence of your mind is jumping from country to country in nanoseconds. And, what's more annoying, if you're touching Jasper you protect him, too. Unwittingly. Which is why I know you're mates. Having your magic almost instinctively make it so he is protected with you. He's tried when you and I are touching, and he can't find you, but he can find me. You only protect Jasper, and he protects you in return. He always puts himself between you and who he deems the biggest threats, even if they aren't threats.

I've done what Aro asked, I've strengthened Jasper's bond to the Volturi, but if you left right now he'd be right behind you."

"Wait, you've influenced Jasper?"

"Aro has me do it for everyone," she shrugged. "But I can't do it with you. Why do you think Jasper's taken to calling them 'Master' so easily? It wasn't even a challenge, as military-minded as he is. Another soldier awaiting his assignment. But in his mind Aro is the Colonel to your General. He has to take orders from Aro, but your orders trump his."

"I'm not sure if I should be insulted by you implying our relationship is like enlisting," she chuckled.

"It's not like that. But you need to think about the two of you. Eight months is a long time to hide from your emotions."

"A couple minutes alone, please?"

"Of course. I'll be at the bottom of the hill. There's a cave down there with some paintings, I want to see if I can figure out how old they are." She gave Hermione a tight hug and kissed her cheek before disappearing as quickly as the wind.

Hermione looked back down towards the town as she sat on a large boulder. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and visualized the last remnants of her wall falling down. She let her true emotions, the ones she had been trying to keep at bay, rush over her, knowing that she was well away from anyone's influence. Jasper's face immediately swam in front of her eyes, and she paid attention to the feelings that came crashing over her. Lust, but she wouldn't deny that before, though she did try to control it around Jasper. Goodness knows what would happen if she radiated lust, and he returned the favor. Trust. Protectiveness and a bit of possessiveness. Nothing unexpected for someone who had been seeing someone for nearly half a year.

What surprised her was the lack of certain emotions. She used to hate him. But that was nowhere in her mind. She expected to feel restrained, and she felt quite the opposite. Just the sight of his face in her mind had her grinning uncontrollably. It was time to reward his patience with her. It was time she acknowledged her true feelings. Chelsea was right. She was making every excuse to keep her feelings from coming to the front of her mind, but she was adjusted to her life, and there were no more excuses.

The sky was getting pink just on the horizon, so she ran down the hill to find Chelsea emerging from the cave.

"Any longer and I would have had to come drag you back down," Chelsea smiled as a greeting.

"Find your cave art?"

"Found some pictures that look like they were drawn by twelve year olds a couple weeks ago. I don't think cavemen focused so much on breasts."

"You don't know for certain. You haven't been a vampire that long. For all you know cavemen were as obsessed about breasts as the average man today is."

"Which is why Felix stares at yours."

She snarled. "There might be a rule against destroying our own, but I'm just about ready to break it."

"Jasper will break it for you if he doesn't cut it out."

"I can't help it if I have a nice set."

"Don't get the vampire ego, okay. We know we're hot. It's design."

"You don't let me have any fun."

"You'll have plenty of fun if I think you decided what I think you decided, judging by that smile plastered across your face," she smirked as they reached the clearing where the men had pitched the tent. "Just keep it down."

"You should bloody talk," she hissed. "We heard a good deal of it last night before I gave up and cast a silencing charm."

They were both giggling as they entered the tent. Chelsea and Afton immediately disappeared into the spare room to spend their day together. Hermione rolled her eyes and cast a pre-emptive silencing charm.

"Thank you," Jasper smiled, then he motioned towards the couch while reaching for the book they were currently reading together.

"I actually have something different I want to do today," she said, biting her lip.

"Really? What?" he asked, looking confused.

Sighing she let down the shield she placed to keep him from exerting too much influence over her emotions. He could immediately feel the lust she was radiating. A primitive sort of noise, halfway between a growl and a purr, erupted from his throat before he had the chance to stifle it.

"Be careful with those emotions around me," he hissed through clenched teeth as he fought to keep his control.

"Not tonight," she replied, staring right back into his eyes.

Three seconds passed where neither of them moved or spoke. She was wondering if he was trying to find a way to let her down gently, if he was rejecting her in some way, when he jumped over the couch, snatched her up into his arms, and carried her towards the main bedroom almost before she could register that he had moved.


	22. No Going Back

**A/N: After spending all day wearing cute, but somewhat uncomfortable four-inch heels I came home to relax with a glass or two of wine, and got the urge to continue this story where I had left it off. So I sat and typed, and you get this a few days before I had planning on writing it. Hope it's to your liking.**

**We'll actually get to see some of the HP characters make another appearance in the next chapter. Not much more just-Volturi stuff.**

**Enjoy, and please review.**

She barely had time to close the flap behind them before Jasper's lips were claiming hers with much more urgency than ever before. His hands held her face firmly to his as their tongues danced together. She let her body take over, pressing herself to him, and he responded the same. When he gently bit her bottom lip she couldn't hold back the gasp that escaped her lips. Her hands twisted into his shirt, but instead of the fabric going taut under her grip it suddenly became loose. She broke away to see that the back of Jasper's shirt was hanging oddly, and she was holding two torn pieces of fabric.

"Oops," she chuckled.

"That's actually one of the best compliments I think I've ever gotten," he smirked.

"Since I already ruined the back..." she hissed, grabbing the front closure and pulling it apart, sending buttons flying everywhere. Her eyes roamed over his body, which was a crossed with his hundreds, maybe thousands of scars. Slowly, as if she were afraid of what she might feel, her fingers came up to trace over the ridges.

"I'm sorry," he murmured. "I know they're..."

"Beautiful," she finished for him.

His eyebrow shot up in surprise.

She replied by pressing herself as close to him as possible, and whispering against his lips, "I like everything about you, Jasper."

His lips claimed hers again, and it felt like electricity was flowing through their veins. His fingers found the hemline of her shirt, and he pulled gently upwards, breaking their embrace long enough to remove the garment from her. As he continued to kiss her his hands trailed slowly down her back. He fumbled with the clasp on the back of her skirt, lowered the zipper, and let the fabric trail down her legs. She felt him putting the gentlest of pressure on her front, and she stepped backwards towards the bed without even thinking about it. Two steps later the edge of the bed collided with the back of her leg, and she let herself be pushed backwards, falling onto the untouched bedspread.

He was immediately atop her, kissing her more forcefully. His hand found the front of her bra, and he pulled. She felt the slightest resistance on the straps and the hooks before they gave and he tossed the trashed bra across the room. His lips strayed from hers, trailing across her chin and starting to kiss her jaw line and neck. It was as if the burning had disappeared from her throat, traveling down across her body and settling in the pit of her stomach. She could feel Jasper's length pressing into her leg, and knew she could have it inside her in less than a second. Her hands trailed towards his pants, but as his tongue flicked across one of her nipples her thoughts flew out of her head.

"Yes..." she hissed, pulling him down to her, desperate for more contact between them. The word encouraged him, and his hand slid down to her panties, discarding them as easily as he had her bra.

"I can smell you, my Hermione," he growled. "And you smell so good. I feel the desire coming off you. Do you want me, my love?"

"No," she growled. "I _need_ you. Right now."

It took him an eighth of a second to rid himself of his pants and be back on top of her. He parted her legs with one of his own and positioned himself between them. As his slid himself into her she let off a moan, wrapping her legs around his and bucking her hips upwards to take as much of him as she could. He pulled out, then pushed himself back into her slowly, rhythmically, and she instinctively knew when to press her hips into his. Their lips collided again, and she temporarily forgot how to breathe. Her arms were wrapped tightly around him, her fingers digging so hard into his shoulders they risked tearing off bits of his skin.

His movements quickened, and she felt the fire slowly moving towards inferno levels. He shifted his weight to one hand, using the other to pull one of her legs higher against him, and her body instantaneously reacted to the sensations the slight movement brought. She sucked in a large breath as her eyes rolled back, pulling her head back with them and thrusting her back upwards. His lips were back on her neck, sucking gently on her pulse point as his hips ground into hers even faster than before. Her body began to tighten, legs holding him so securely he could barely move, but his need for release was as great as hers, and he found a way to keep going. She clamped around him, a moan being pushed from her chest.

And then she broke as waves of pleasure rushed over her. Her muscles tightened randomly and involuntarily for a few seconds as she gave up control of her body to the feeling he had just created in her.

"Hermione," he groaned as he spilled into her, his own hands tearing the bedding he was grasping onto. His crimson eyes locked onto hers, and she found herself unable to tear her gaze away. A minute passed where neither of them moved save for the slight rise and fall of their chest with their breath.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you, too," she replied softly. There was a sudden, overwhelming feeling of happiness radiating off of him. He collapsed next to her, pulling her to his side, kissing the top of her head adoringly. No words passed between them, for none were needed.

* * *

"Hermione, you've finally returned," Aro grinned as she, Jasper, Chelsea, and Afton walked into the living room of the large, secluded house that was currently being used as the base of their operations. The owners, a reclusive couple rarely seen in the town below, had involuntarily given up control, and were now buried unceremoniously on their property. Hermione had objected to taking the house in such a way, but it was one of the few things Aro was unwilling to take her side on.

"We took our time wandering back," she shrugged, stepping towards were he, Caius, and Marcus sat flanked by guard members.

"I trust everything went well."

"Of course," she said, offering her hand, which he eagerly took. She kept her thoughts limited only to the missions they were sent on. What had happened between her and Jasper would no longer be a secret once Aro got a hold of Jasper's hand, but she felt no need to offer the information to him.

"Interesting way of dealing with those party guests," he said, dropping her hand and cocking his head to the side.

She suppressed a sigh. She knew keeping the humans alive would come back to her, but she had rather hope Aro wouldn't press the issue.

"The purpose of our missions is to keep our existence from the humans. I know this normally means destroying any humans who know our secret, but if we can erase their knowledge without killing them, wouldn't it be better to save innocent lives than destroy them needlessly."

He chuckled. "Always feeling the need to defend your actions, Dearest One! I merely mentioned that it was interesting, not condemning you for doing so."

"If you two are ready to allow the rest of us into your knowledge," Caius hissed in annoyance.

"It seems one of Hermione's targets attempted to save themselves by running into a crowded party. Rather than killing all the guests she simply modified their memories, forcing them to forget what they had seen. They know as much about the true existence of vampires as they did the day before their get-together."

He growled. "How can we be so sure that her charms will hold indefinitely? We should return and..."

"Peace, brother. Do you doubt Hermione's abilities?"

Caius looked at Hermione. "I do not doubt her. I am merely concerned that there are humans out there who have seen our kind, even if that part of their memories have been wiped clean. Should the spell not hold..."

"If rumors of people claiming vampires are real start coming out of this region, I will personally come back and take care of all the revelers myself, in the _traditional_ way," Hermione replied.

"By then it may be too late."

"My memory charms are solid. If I could make my parents forget the existence of their only child they had known for nearly eighteen years, I can make a group of people forget five minutes of their lives." She and Caius locked gazes, each daring the other to continue.

"Peace, both of you," Aro said amusedly. "I see no point in arguing this any further. Hermione made her decision, and it is the position we trusted her with. Her powers have been proven dozens of times before us, I trust that she made the right decision. Had we not felt we could trust her, would we have not sent one of our own number with her to supervise?"

"I meant no slight on your abilities, Hermione," Caius nodded.

"And I did not mean to start an argument. My only goal was to save human lives while upholding our laws. Had I any doubt that the charms wouldn't hold, I would have destroyed the humans, as per normal operating procedures," she replied. It was as close an apology either one was willing to give.

"Sit," Aro said, motioning to the empty spot on the couch he was sitting on. She complied, Jasper immediately moving to stand behind her. She felt something attempting to get through her natural magical barrier, and with a quick glance up she knew Jane was trying her hardest to get through to her, to show she had some weakness.

"Jasper, that second coven we sent you after. The leader was your creator, was she not?"

"Yes," Jasper replied in a tone that made it clear he knew Aro was well aware Maria was his creator and sent him after her for precisely that reason.

"Was it difficult for you?"

"No. She broke the law, and the law dictated what must happen. She had always been close to overstepping the rules, and when I was with her I always kept her in check. But in my absence it appears her greed got the best of her."

"It is good to see you value the law over any... personal connections you may have."

Hermione scowled for the briefest moment. Had her creator not been in the room with her, and revered by Aro for making her and bringing her to them, would their next mission involve finding a transgression that creator had made and setting off to destroy him? Aro was testing Jasper's loyalty, making him choose between the Volturi and the one who made him. As she thought it Aro reached for Jasper's hand, brushing against his skin, searching to see what, if any, hesitations he had about destroying his creator. After two seconds his eyes turned to Hermione, a sly smile crossing his face.

"And how did your missions go?" Hermione asked for a change of subject.

"Quite well," he replied with a wide smile. "It is quite exciting to be back out here on the front lines once again. We normally just send delegates, but we wanted to oversee your first solo mission, and be close by should you need assistance. Silly of us, I always knew you would be fine. You are a natural leader, Dearest One, much more satisfied by doing something than by sitting around feeling helpless."

"It is quite interesting, to see how these newborns act," Caius assented. "The coven we went up against clearly had the advantage when it came to numbers, but they had no skills. It was nearly boring, taking care of them."

Next to him Marcus sighed, giving the impression that the mission had done nothing to bring him out of his constantly apathetic state. Hermione set her jaw, wanting nothing more than to be able to speak freely to the quietest of the three leaders, but knowing that even if she found the opportunity to be alone with him, his secrets were kept locked away so tightly she would never be able to reach them. What was interesting, however, was that he was leaning slightly towards Jasper, who was still radiating happiness from their time together the night before.

"Since we are all back, and everything is complete, I say it is time we move back to Volterra," Aro announced as Heidi entered the room. "Have the arrangements been made?"

"Yes, Master," Heidi replied with a smile. "The pilots have been roused, and will be at the airport within half an hour." Due to the numbers of vampires moving, and the fact that they couldn't control commercial flights the Volturi had decided the best course was to have their own transportation available, which recently meant buying their own airplane and employing two pilots who were paid handsomely to be constantly on-call, not ask questions, and keep their mouths shut. Like the secretaries they also had dreams of immortality, and hoped years of loyal service would earn them their reward, but like the human secretaries more likely than not they would eventually become part of a meal.

"Wonderful," Aro clapped once. "Shall we depart, then?"

There was no need to answer the question. The group moved as one, gathering their things and starting towards the nearby city quickly and quietly. It was an hour before sunrise when they arrived at the small airport, and they were in the air before the sky began to lighten.

"Are you going to write Draco back?" Jasper asked Hermione in a hushed voice as Afton began dealing cards for a game of bridge. They were sitting facing Chelsea and Afton, who were both distracted by the playful argument they were having about taking a private trip to Mexico.

"No," Hermione replied, staring at the cards in her hand harder than she had to.

"Are you sure?"

"Our relationship... deteriorated near the end of our exchange. Perhaps it's best for me to leave that part of my being behind quickly, like tearing off a band-aid."

"Never wore one," he smirked.

"Well, aren't you lucky you were deprived of recent medical devices and had to rely on surgery without anesthesia and bloodletting?"

"Never had use for those, either, thank God," he chuckled.

"You could call what happened to you bloodletting, though in your case it worked almost too well, at least according to traditional definitions of 'success'."

"Meaning I survived, at least in a sense?"

"Many others didn't."

He was silent for a moment. "If you are ready to leave that part of your past, then I support your decision, but I'm not sure you're ready to give up your magical roots. Or if you'll ever be ready to give them up."

"I am ready to give up Draco Malfoy at the moment."

"I won't lie and say I'm not happy about that fact, but you have chosen to make him your connection between your two worlds, and I don't want you to cut that connection if it means losing part of yourself."

She sighed. "His letters have become predictable and infuriating. Right now I just want to be left alone for a while, until I can figure out what it is I truly want."

He nodded. "I am here for you."

She responded by kissing his cheek.

"Hermione!" Chelsea said, snapping her fingers in her friend's direction. "Your bet."

"Oh," she said, scanning her cards and putting her thoughts about Draco and the magical world to the back of her mind. She would deal with those thoughts when she was ready, when she stopped being so upset with Draco. She had no idea she would be forced to deal with both the thoughts and Draco himself much sooner than she anticipated.


	23. She's Alive

**A/N: It's been a while since I added the 'I own nothing, SM and JKR own Twilight and Harry Potter respectively, I'm not profiting' statement, so here it is.**

**The way it's looking right now is that we'll spend a few chapters with the HP characters in England, head back to Volterra for a chapter, then the Cullens will make their way into the picture. I'm really trying to stick with the timelines of the two books, so I may have to do a 'a few years later...' thing at the start of one of the chapters. I hope you don't mind.**

**Enjoy, and please keep those reviews coming.**

* * *

The Order was gathered for a meeting Kingsley had called on very short notice. One by one they trickled towards the Burrow as they got out of their jobs. Snape, McGonagall, and Hagrid were the only Hogwarts teachers present, they had asked the rest to stay behind to keep an eye on the school, and would call the Order supporters for a meeting after they returned.

Draco had been in a particularly foul mood all week. That Sunday was Halloween, one year since he rejected Hermione. The day after would be a year since she had been bitten, and while he wasn't sure how long it had taken her to complete her transformation, her one-year anniversary as a vampire was soon after. And she had stopped talking to him. At least, he hadn't received a letter from her since June. She had said they were going on a mission in Mexico, but he had expected her to be back after a few weeks, a couple months at most. Four months without even a short note was more avoidance than a mission.

"What's this about?" he asked, sitting with Narcissa next to Harry and Ginny.

"They found Avery," Harry replied, in much the same tone as Draco had first asked. Draco was sure it was because Harry was also aware of the upcoming date.

"Isn't this what your department is supposed to do?"

"Yes, but we have problems. He's gotten some help, and we're in for a hell of a fight. Kingsley is going to ask for the Order's help," he finished just as Kingsley swept into the room, dropping a large file and some rolled papers onto the table.

"Thank you all for coming," he said, sounding harried. "I'll get right down to it, as it is getting late. We have intelligence indicating that Avery, who has been missing since the Battle of Hogwarts, is hiding out in the northern part of the country, and is gathering support by the day. We're not sure of his exact location, it is Unplottable and well warded, but we have narrowed an area to around Dalston. As of right now we have identified thirteen individuals who are regularly visiting the area as well as eight others who have visited, and we do have a good idea of where the building they're using for headquarters is, but we have a bigger problem, and that's why we need help.

Our intelligence indicates that there are three vampires protecting the property. They are part of the reason we're having problems gathering information."

"Vampires," Draco groaned, but Kingsley must have taken it as a question.

"Yes. The Vampire Hunters managed to capture and destroy one, but another two showed up shortly after, and they don't want to do anything else unless they can guarantee they can destroy the source. The vampire they destroyed was just a couple weeks old. They've poked around a bit, and they think an older vampire in London might be providing the newborns to Avery and his group in return for a promised large hunting ground."

"So, we're going to have to try to destroy vampires?" Ginny asked.

"There's no _we_ about this!" Molly snapped.

"Mum..." she whined as she and her mother started arguing. Kingsley, the Hogwarts teachers, and Lupin were unrolling a map and bent over it. A general murmur had grown up amongst the rest of the group

Draco nudged Harry, and looked pointedly at the stairs. He got up and walked up to the library. Two minutes later Harry came in.

"What's up, Malfoy?" Harry asked, refusing to look at Draco.

"We may have to go to Volterra earlier than planned."

Harry's head shot up, his eyes looking excited. "You mean it?"

"Yeah. I think they may be able to help us with Avery."

"But what about what I wanted to go down there for in the first place?" he frowned.

"I'm sure you'll get your answers when you get down there," he snapped.

"Get down where?" a voice rang from the doorway. They turned to see George looking at them, confused. "You two looked like you were up to no good, so I followed. Figured if there was no good afoot, I should be a part of it. Where are we going?"

"We?" Draco hissed.

"He might be useful," Harry replied.

"Yeah. I might be useful. Now, what am I being useful for?" George was looking more confused by the second.

"We're going to Volterra to see the Volturi," he announced.

"That sounds familiar..." he scowled.

"After Hermione died we mentioned them. They're like the royal family of vampires."

"Oh," his face fell. "Why are we going to go to a bunch of vampires?"

"To get help with the newborns," Draco answered. "The Volturi keep the existence of vampires a secret, and uphold their laws. Selling newborns to a group of wizards is probably against the law."

"And the other thing Harry wanted?"

"He wants information on the one who killed Hermione."

"I see. So, when are we leaving?"

"I wasn't aware that this 'we' thing was official yet."

"I can bring a bunch of things to help us if things go south. I have some stuff at the shop..."

"Plus he's talked his way out of tons of tight situations before," Harry pointed out.

"Fine," Draco sighed in frustration. "We'll need to go as soon as possible, and let as few people know where we are going as possible. They'll either try to stop us, or try to go with us, and we need neither."

"All I need to do is tell Verity to keep an eye on the shop and grab a few things. I could be ready to leave in a couple hours," George nodded.

"I'll tell Kingsley I'm going to meet up with someone who could help us with this, he'll pass the information on to the Head of the Department. I'll grab a few things upstairs, a few hours is more than enough time."

"I want to grab a couple things from the Manor, and check where we can Apparate to. I also need to find the book that told me where the entrance to the Volturi's building is. I'm not going to Volterra in the middle of the night. Let's plan on meeting at the Manor at two tomorrow afternoon. That should get us in by the Volturi by three. Plenty of sunshine to Apparate to a sunny place, populated place and keep us safe."

"I'll be at the Manor as soon as I can," Harry nodded. "Anything you can tell me to help keep me on the same page, I want to know before we go."

"Same here," George agreed. They left the room unceremoniously, took a couple hours to get ready, and met up at four in the morning at Malfoy Manor. Narcissa was still asleep, so Draco led them into the bowels of the Manor, where he was sure his mother wouldn't overhear them when she woke up, and quickly spouted every bit of information he could think of to keep them alive. Harry helped them pick out the right Muggle attire to be able to move through the town without drawing attention, then they stashed their robes for quick access, and at two they took a Portkey to a small grove of trees just outside the city, shouldered their bags, and followed Draco through the cobbled streets. Finally they came to an unassuming building, and George and Harry shuddered in unison as Draco placed his hand on the door.

"I guess we're supposed to feel like we don't want to go in there?" George muttered.

"Our magic is telling us it's not safe," Draco nodded. "Ignore it, but trust your instinct from here on out. If you have the overwhelming desire to leave, Apparate out of there back to the trees. If we're not behind you, get as close to humans as possible, staying in the sunlight. If you don't see us before the sun starts going down, get yourself back to England."

Harry gulped loudly before nodding. Draco opened the door, and felt somewhat disoriented. The plain, industrial feel of the entrance was not what he expected for such a powerful group of vampires. Slowly they moved down the hall to an elevator, then rode up and got off in another industrial-feeling, though slightly more posh reception area.

"Ciao. Good afternoon," a pretty woman smiled at them from behind a desk, looking slightly confused.

"Stay here," Draco hissed, and Harry and George did what he asked. As he was walking forward Draco pulled on his robes, and behind him the others did the same.

Draco said something in a low voice to the woman, who frowned. They chatted in quick Italian for a couple minutes before the woman seemed to relent. She said something in a warning tone to Draco, who scowled and turned to hurry back to Harry and George. Behind them there was the quiet murmur of many voices.

"Just wait over there," the woman said, gesturing to a small sitting area.

"Move," Draco ordered, grabbing Harry and George each by an arm and pulling them roughly towards the chairs. He shoved them each into one of the chairs as the doors they had entered though opened and a line of people starting filing through.

"Don't look at them," Draco hissed, looking pointedly away, but the warning seemed to have the opposite effect on Harry and George, who were looking, eyes wide, at the large group of people. A couple of them looked back, but nothing more than a confused look at their attire before they got swept away with the group. Behind them was a beautiful woman, who shot the secretary a look, then looked at the group by the chairs. The secretary shook her head pointedly. The beautiful woman flashed Draco, Harry, and George a wide smile before disappearing through a set of ornate double doors.

"What the hell is going on?" George asked.

"You don't want to know," Draco said. "You may want to cover your..." he wasn't able to finish the sentence before screams started to echo from the room beyond the doors. Draco winced and stared at a vase of flowers. George and Harry sounded like they had stopped breathing, each turning a very pale shade of white. They screaming went on for just over a minute before it abruptly ended.

"What was that?" Harry managed to gulp.

"Their idea of a meal," Draco replied.

"All those people are...?" he couldn't finish the sentence.

"I told you not to look."

George turned green and ran for a nearby room labeled 'restroom'. Harry started hyperventilating and put his head between his knees.

"If you want to get out of here, now's the time to do it. Once they're done cleaning up they're going to meet with us," Draco said, trying to think of anything but the scene he had just seen and heard, and knowing Hermione was on the other side of those doors.

Harry shook his head, which was still between his knees. Draco thought he heard him repeating 'it's their way of eating, it's like beef to us' to himself. A few minutes later George returned from the bathroom, still looking sick and shaking, but he sat resignedly next to Harry. A couple minutes later the woman seemed to think the room was safe again, and disappeared down the hallway. Soon after she returned, a wide smile on her face, the beautiful woman, now with bright red eyes, following right behind her.

"Follow me," Heidi smiled, motioning for them. "Aro has sent Demetri down to get her, she went to her chambers afterwards."

"Her?" Harry asked Draco as they stood and followed the woman, but Draco didn't answer. They went through a hidden, smaller door into a stone antechamber, finally emerging into the main chamber. A couple vampires were on the floor near the edges of the room, finishing furiously scrubbing something off the stone, but it was the man standing in the middle of the room that drew their attention.

"Welcome to Volterra, friends!" he smiled warmly. "It is not often we get such a visit from wizards, and we are delighted to welcome you to our fair city."

"It's great to be here," Draco forced. Aro stepped forward, offering his hand in an innocent-looking gesture. Draco set his jaw as the cold, papery-looking skin pressed into his own, and winced as his memories passed to the vampire, all in less than two seconds. Behind him George snorted as if it should be clear to anyone that it was anything but 'great'. Right after there was the sound of Harry elbowing him hard in the ribs.

"Bloody hell, Potter," George grumbled, not taking his eyes off of Aro.

A door opened to their right, and everyone looked towards it. Before they could see who had entered a white blur was rushing towards them, and before they could react it picked up Harry with an excited shout of his name.

"What the..." Harry shouted in surprise, reaching for his wand but unable to get it as the blur spun him around once, then put him down and stepped back.

"Oh, Dear Merlin!" George gasped. "Granger!"

Hermione nodded once, the motion itself a blur, a wide smile spreading across her face.

"You're alive?" Harry whispered.

"Sort of," she shrugged. "Oh, Harry, it's great to see you. I've missed you so much!"

"You're a vampire," he said, looking straight into her red eyes. "Snape was right."

"I told you Snape was a smart man," she smiled sadly, obviously upset at the less than warm reunion. Behind her Jasper appeared, wrapping an arm around Hermione's shoulders. Draco's eyes narrowed, jaw clenching.

"What are you doing here, with these...?" he stopped, glancing at Aro.

"There's so much to talk about. Would you like to come down to my chambers, and we'll have a chat?"

Harry nodded, but Aro held a hand up.

"Dearest One, while the group is gathered, perhaps we should get the business aspect of their meeting out of the way."

"Of course," she nodded. "Forgive me my excitement."

"Nothing to forgive!" he chuckled. "It is so rare we get visitors here, especially human ones. And with Harry so important to you, I would be concerned if you weren't excited with his visit." He held a hand out for hers, and she took it and allowed him to lead her towards his throne. He kissed her cheek before sitting, and she turned to stand right next to him. Caius and Marcus were already sitting, with Athenodora and Sulpicia taking their places behind the group.

"Tell us, why have you come seeking our assistance?" Aro asked Draco as if he didn't already have the knowledge.

"Avery and some Death Eaters and supporters are starting to group in the northern part of England. This in and of itself is something we'd like to avoid, I know better than most a gathering of Death Eaters is not good news," Draco started.

"We have little concern with Wizarding affairs," Caius hissed.

"You should be concerned with the newborn vampires they have gotten to guard their hideaway, and the vampire who is providing them with newborns for a price."

"That part is concerning," Aro frowned. "How many newborns?"

"Three confirmed, though that's only at the perimeter. We don't know if there are any closer to the main area, we can't get past the first newborns without risking detection."

"I see," he nodded. Hermione reached for his hand, brushing her fingers with hers. "Of course, my Dear. The offender is the more concerning thing at the moment. Newborns can be dealt with, but if one is out there making newborns in such a reckless way, he or she will have to be dealt with before we go after the group."

"I can go after the offender, then take care of the newborns, but I will need help," she said confidently, the conversation now excluding the wizards before them, dismissed as easily as any other human that entered the chamber. Hermione knew trying to include them would only prolong the conversation that would be mainly between her, Aro, Caius, and Marcus anyways. Draco had provided them information, they were now deciding their role in fixing the problem.

"I wouldn't dream of sending you alone, though I doubt Jasper would let you go alone. Take him with you. Demetri," he snapped his fingers, and the tracker appeared next to them. "Will you go with Hermione to England to assist her?"

"Yes, Master," Demetri nodded. "I'd love to track down some rogue wizards."

"Wonderful. Chelsea? Perhaps you would like to assist Hermione as well?"

"Certainly, Master," she nodded.

"Will Afton be joining you?"

"I would be happy to, Master," Afton nodded.

"I trust you five can do the job?"

"Yes, Master," Afton, Chelsea, Jasper and Demetri replied in unison.

"Yes," Hermione said simply.

"You will be leader of this group, and will keep us informed," Aro stood to look Hermione in the face. "I have no doubt this mission will cause you no problems, and you'll be able to complete it quickly, though you will most likely be delayed by visiting, which I assure you is no problem. Take all the time you need, Dearest One, but remember you are representing our group. Make us proud."

"Don't I always?" she chuckled.

"You have proven yourself beyond what I would have thought for one your age. I am quite pleased you chose to join our group. And as such, I have one more gift for you before you leave."

"You spoil me, Aro."

"It is nothing," he smiled at her, waving for Gianna, who was standing in the corner, holding a box. She approached them, handing the box to Aro, and waiting for him to extract the black fabric inside before retreating towards her desk. Aro unfurled the fabric, revealing it to be a cloak the same shade as his own. He lovingly wrapped it around her shoulders, then gave her a quick kiss. "You have earned it, my Dear."

"Thank you," she smiled, though it didn't seem totally sincere.

"Go, be with your friends. I will call for the plane, and have your group prepare to leave in two hours."

"Come on," Hermione motioned to her friends. She waited by the door she came in as Harry, George, and Draco practically ran over to her, Jasper following them closely. Hermione didn't speak as she led them down to her private chambers, ushering them in and closing the door behind them. A few quick waves of her wand warded the room and kept their conversation private.

"Congratulations, my love," Jasper said, fingering the black cloak, then wrapping his arms around her and pressing his lips to her forehead.

"I find the timing highly suspicious," she replied softly.

"Nonsense. We have all been able to see this has been coming since you arrived here. You've done so much, worked so hard, you've earned it."

She responded with a quick, insincere smile.

"This is something to discuss another time... in different company. I shall take my leave, pack a few things, and give you some time with your friends."

"You are welcome to stay," she replied, hands tightening around his clothes as if she were afraid for him to leave her with her friends.

"Half an hour," he smiled. "I need to prepare for our trip."

"Okay," she sighed with a nod. "Half an hour."

He kissed her quickly before shooting her friends a look and leaving. After the door shut behind him she turned to look at her friends. Several seconds passed as the group stared awkwardly at each other without speaking.

"Half an hour is not a lot of time to be explaining everything that's happened in a year," George said, crossing his arms. "_Both_ of you have a lot of talking to do," he finished, looking at Draco.

"Why me?" Draco asked.

"You've known for how long?"

"Right after my father died. But the whole of my side of the story is that she came to me one night after Lucius died, told me what happened, and asked me to keep her secret, which I've been doing."

"You've been communicating with me," she hissed.

"If you have or not is not important," Harry snapped. "How could you have kept this from me?" he asked Hermione, tears threatening to fall.

"I didn't want you to know until I was in a better place. I always intended to come back and tell you, when the time was right," she said in a pleading whisper.

"When would the time be right? When I'm on my death bed?"

"Of course not! But certainly not when I was still losing control around any sort of blood."

"How many up there were your doing, 'Mione? How many lives have you destroyed?"

"I killed one up there, and I'm not going to deny what I am. I have gotten better about it. I'm not losing control during meals anymore. I don't have to kill two or three to sate my thirst now. I'm working on self-denial, so I can skip meals and kill less, but until I gain more control I will participate and do what I must."

Harry's eyes narrowed, and he leaned away from her.

"I'm not going to apologize for what I am, because I didn't ask to become a vampire. I'm just playing the cards I was dealt."

"Start at the beginning," George muttered. "Halloween. What happened at the party, and right after?"

"I drank too much. I made a... proposition, and I was turned down."

"Proposition? What? To who?"

"Bloody hell, Weasley," Draco rolled his eyes. "Don't be so thick. She offered to have sex with me, and I said I didn't want her to while drunk. She got upset and ran off."

"Then what happened?" Harry asked.

"I went home, fell asleep, and had a dream about Ron," she scowled, leaving out the part of her dream where Jasper came to her. "When I woke up I was in a very bad place. All the weight of Ron and my parents... I took down the wards I had against the vampire who was stalking me, threw my wand across the room, and invited him in. I..." she paused and closed her eyes. "I intended for him to kill me. He said he wanted to keep me. I was so sure he'd be unable to resist my blood, so sure he'd kill me, the idea that he'd stop and change me never even crossed my mind."

"Who is he, 'Mione?" George asked in a whisper. Next to him Harry wiped his eyes with his sleeve. He just got confirmation that his best friend had tried to kill herself, and between that and knowing she was a vampire it was almost too much to take.

"Jasper," Draco spat. "Her _mate_."

"Mate?" George and Harry asked in unison.

"We're seeing each other," she said blandly, crossing to her closet and pulling out a bag.

"Your mate is the vampire who did this to you?" Harry shouted, looking furious.

"You do know you're in the presence of people with exceptional hearing?" a voice drawled from the doorway. Hermione groaned as Felix entered the room with a smirk. "There's no need to shout."

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Trying to be hospitable. Need help packing?" he asked, reaching for a drawer.

She waved her wand, and the drawer slammed shut and sealed itself shut. "You know damn well what's in that drawer, and that you are never welcome to see it," she hissed.

"Feisty. Though I guess I should be more careful around you, now that you have that cloak, Mistress?"

"_Don't_ call me that," she warned.

"I'll build you a nice throne. Put it next to Aro's. It'll be ready for you when you get back. Though Sulpicia is bound to get jealous of you two at some point..."

Her hand tightened around her wand. "In any other company I would be more than happy to argue back and forth with you about this, maybe even go up to the main chamber and have another little fight, but not right now, Felix."

"You heard the woman," Jasper snarled from the doorway. "Time for you to leave. And stop hitting on my mate. If I can take down three newborns by myself, you'll be no problem."

"Anytime," Felix growled, but he started walking away. "Have fun in England."

"Are you alright?" he asked in a soothing tone, crossing the room to take Hermione in his arms.

"This damn thing is going to cause nothing but problems," she grumbled, pulling her robe off and stuffing it into her bag.

"It is going to take some getting used to, for everyone," he shrugged. "No one can deny you are a talent, and have been very fair-minded. Hell, you've changed the way they've done things around here, which is something that's never happened before. Besides, the only way to turn it down is to leave."

"I don't want to leave. Not yet," she muttered. Across the room Draco winced.

"Enjoy it. There is a reason he gave it to you."

"To buy your loyalty," Draco breathed.

"You don't understand the dynamics around here," Hermione snapped.

"I don't bloody well need to! It's not that difficult to figure out!"

"My loyalty is not for sale!"

He snorted. "Sure it's not, _Mistress_."

Her eyes flashed and she crouched down, teeth bared, a growl erupting from her throat. Jasper was in front of her a fraction of a second later, whispering quickly to her, trying to calm her down.

"Leave," he ordered over his shoulder to Draco.

"Gladly," Draco hissed, turning on the spot and disappearing into the air.

"Anyone else feel like going?" she snapped, standing up again and looking at Harry and George.

"We're your friends," George said plainly.

"You used to know that," Harry added in a grumble.

Her jaw clenched, and she spun to start shoving things into her bag. Jasper was next to her, working hard to calm the room down as he took the clothes she was shoving haphazardly into her bag, folding them, and placing them carefully back in. It took her four minutes to complete her packing. She grabbed her bag, shouldered it, and looked at Harry and George.

"I'm going by plane with my group. You're welcome to do as you wish, Apparate or come with us. We'll be ready to assist within an hour of landing in London," she said quickly before stomping from the room.

"What have you done to 'Mione?" Harry shot at Jasper before hurrying after his friend.


	24. Words Needed to be Said

**A/N: I felt the need for Harry and Hermione to work out things between them, so that's pretty much the whole of this chapter. We'll get into more action-y things in the next couple chapters.**

**Enjoy and please review.**

* * *

They didn't say two words to each other as they traveled to the airport, the vampires sitting in a tight group on one side of the limo Aro had sent to take them to the airport, Harry and George on the other purposefully avoiding their red eyes.

The sun was dipping below the horizon when their plane took off, Harry and George holding onto the sides of their seats, white-knuckled, neither having actually flown in a plane before. Demetri was lost in an ancient text before they reached altitude, Chelsea and Afton immersed themselves in a movie shortly afterwards, leaving Hermione and Jasper sitting across from Harry and George.

Jasper kept looking at Hermione as if he expected her to break the ice, but she wasn't saying a word. Slowly he trailed his hand down her spine from her neck to the small of her back, causing her to suck in a breath and straighten up. Smirking he moved his hand to her knee and started to rub small circles with his fingers.

"So, how long have you two been together?" George asked, earning him a dirty look from Harry. He shrugged as if to say 'No one else was starting the conversation'.

"We started seeing each other a couple months after I was changed, but it was only casual. It became a bit more serious a few months ago when we were in Mexico," she replied politely.

"Why were you in Mexico?" he asked in surprise.

"Some covens of newborns were getting a little out of hand. We went and did our jobs."

"What is your job?"

"Keeping the secret, much like the Ministry. Though we tend to have much harsher tactics and penalties."

"What does that mean?"

"It means we destroy all offenders," Demetri drawled. "We give no second chances. We go on missions to eliminate, not to penalize with fines and jail time."

"You think that's the way to go, do you?" Harry snapped.

"We don't have the luxury to be able to wave a couple wands and make memories go away. We allow offenders off with a warning, and they do it again, we risk exposure of our world."

"You now have a way to make memories go away. You have Hermione."

"Harry," she hissed, bringing his attention back to her. Demetri chuckled before he returned to his reading. She continued, "I am just one person. It's too much to ask of me to be able to track down and modify every memory, especially with large-scale wars like the one in central America going on right now. They have been warned before, they know that if they start drawing attention we're going to come to the area and destroy whoever we find. How many chances should we allow vampires to expose our world to the humans?"

"I'm really disappointed in you, Hermione. Of anyone I expected to dole out justice without a trial..."

"It's a different situation, Harry," she snapped, irritated.

"Can I speak to you in private, 'Mione?" he asked through clenched teeth.

"We're on a plane. Not much in the way of privacy."

"You're a witch. We can use _Muffliato_."

She sighed and stood, walking to the back of the plane to two open seats, Harry right behind her. He cast the spell and sat next to her, unable to look into her red eyes.

"You are not going to convince me to leave Volterra, Harry."

He held up a hand for her to stop. "This is... a lot to take in right now. I thought you were dead, we all did. Well, except Draco, but he put on a pretty good show like he thought you were dead, too. And now I find out that you're alive, but you're a vampire. A..." he bit his lip and trailed off.

"Say it," she spat. "Don't find a way to sugar-coat it. You like to put labels on things to make them sound better than they are, but we can't move on until you acknowledge what I do to survive."

"You're a bloody killer!" he shouted. Beyond the protections of the charm she saw Jasper, who was watching her anxiously, start to move towards her, but she motioned for him to stay put.

"I do what I have to," she replied calmly.

"Is Jasper one of those things you have to do?"

She hissed. "You're walking a line, Harry."

"Why? Do you love him?"

"Yes, I do."

"More than you loved Ron?"

"That's not fair. Ron was stolen from me. He was killed before we really had a chance to discover our feelings for each other outside the hunt for Horcruxes and the Battle."

"So you're saying you might have loved Ron more if he hadn't died?"

"If Ron hadn't died we would have had the little house with the yard and the dog, and I might have even popped out a red-headed kid by now," she rolled her eyes. "Is that what you wanted to hear? That had Ron lived we would have been happy together? Will it make you feel better?"

"No," he whispered. "But it doesn't help to see that you've moved on. It feels like you're disrespecting him somehow."

"I'm not going to see him again for a very long time. Being alone is a terrifying thought when you have centuries, maybe millennia, before you move on. If you move on. Do you think it's possible for a vampire to get into Heaven?"

He was quiet for a minute. "You could have tried. You could have lived. For us. Did it even cross your mind what would happen to those of us you left after you let him kill you?"

"I feel like all I had been doing was thinking of everyone else. How I had to be the strong one, had to put on the happy face, because everyone expected me to be the one to help you through everything. I was talked out of going to see my parents' graves because I was convinced it was better to sit by your side during the funerals here. That I needed to be happy when they presented me with the Order of Merlin. To never show the immense pain I was in from losing the man I loved and my parents all in a short amount of time. I never felt like I recovered from our time on the run. It was always a show, because I was expected to be the rock. And then Draco turned me down. And I didn't see it as he wanted to sleep with me but he respected me enough to wait until he felt I was completely able to make that decision. That he wanted me for more than just a night. I saw it as a rejection of who I was. And then, in my dream, Ron told me he couldn't forgive me for wanting to be with Draco, and during the dream I had the realization that the only place I could have peace is death, so I decided that death is where I wanted to be. I got everything in order, and invited Jasper in. But he saw something in me, Chelsea says that part of him knew I was his mate before he turned me, and he changed me rather than killed me. It is very difficult not to kill someone you're trying to change, even more so when their blood is so tempting to you, but he did it. And at first I didn't think I could forgive him, but he's stuck with me, shown me how much I mean to him. I feel more from him then I ever felt from Ron."

"You would have had it with Ron."

"No. I never would have. Because Ron's dead, Harry. I'd give everything to change that fact, but it's not going to. The best I could have hoped for would be to find love somewhere else, but it would never be the same. I wasn't going to be an official Weasley, like Molly was hoping for. If Draco and I became an item it would have been an uphill battle. So I was in for more pain."

"Now you've just shifted the pain to us. We get you back, but you're not you."

"I _am_ me. Just with a different diet," she muttered with a weak smile.

"You kill!" he snapped.

"Tell me an alternative, Harry!" she shot back. "What else do you propose I eat? Pasties, like Sanguini? He stopped by six months ago. Human food diet, my arse. So you tell me what I can use to survive besides blood, and I'll gladly give it a try."

He dared to look up at her.

"I don't like killing. I do it because I have to."

He swallowed hard. "Fine, you kill. Why can't we have you back? Why do _they_ have some claim on you now?"

"Because I can do things with them. I'm part of something bigger than myself."

"You were part of something bigger than yourself up here. You did things. You can still do things."

"No one wants to work beside a vampire. If I thought that I would be accepted the same way I would have been before I was turned, I'd go put in my application with the Auror office right now. I bet I could get through their training and tests faster than anyone has done it before. But no one is going to accept me like that. And Jasper would be downright bored."

"Is he really that important? Have you two become somewhat of a package deal now?"

"I'm afraid to put a label on it," she stole a look at Jasper, who smiled warmly at her and made her melt a little inside. "Just because if I call him my mate, I've made my choice for eternity. But he's already calling me that. He doesn't want anyone else but me for however long we live. That's a good feeling."

"Sounds great," he grumbled, looking away.

"I hear things have been kind of rough between you and Ginny," she whispered, putting her hand on his shoulder.

"It's my fault. I haven't been the man she wants me to be. Merlin only knows why she's still with me..."

"She loves you. She hopes that you'll snap out of it eventually."

"George thinks she's afraid of what I might do to myself if she leaves me. Says she's afraid that I'll, well, do what you did. Kill myself, obviously. Not get myself turned into a vampire."

She studied his face. "Would you?" she breathed.

"I'm in a better spot, knowing you're not dead, but it's still going to take a while for the reality to sink to and for me to figure out my emotions. Right now I'm ecstatic to be able to see you and talk to you again. But I'm also very angry, at you, at Jasper, at Draco... I'm not going to say how I'm going to be affected because I'm still in shock. I came to Volterra hoping to get some help finding the name of the vampire that killed you, instead I find you dating him."

"I'm not going to be staying up near you that long. I hope you can accept Jasper and I for the sake of keeping our visit cordial."

He groaned. "Ugh. See, there? You sounded like this is some kind of business meeting."

"Part of it is," she reminded him.

"Not all of it, I hope," he looked up at her in surprise. "If you're just going to do what that overbearing arse wants you to and go home..."

"Overbearing arse?"

"What's his name? The old, creepy one."

"Aro?" she chuckled.

"Whatever. He's obviously the leader of your group."

"We defer to him most of the time," she shrugged.

"That's just what I'm talking about!" he shouted. "The Hermione I know wouldn't just blindly follow someone because he says he's the authority and has been for centuries."

"You're spouting what Draco has no doubt told you is the total truth. Please don't. It would take longer than this plane ride to explain everything to you, and every time you start getting angry at me you make Jasper anxious."

"How can you tell? You aren't even looking at him."

"He's got a gift. He can feel and manipulate emotions. He's been letting me know his emotions the whole time we've been back there. If I give him the signal he'll be back here before you know it."

"How does that work in your relationship?"

"It has it's ups and downs. I can keep him from doing it to me, but I haven't been doing that since we became more serious, at least in most situations. I'm doing it right now, as I don't want a quick flare of emotions giving him the wrong idea."

"I saw you and Airhead or whatever his name is talking by you touching him. Do all vampires have gifts?"

"No. But many in Volterra do. Aro prides himself in finding the most talented among us. Demetri is the most skilled tracker, he can get the tenor of your mind and find you anywhere in the world. Chelsea can strengthen or loosen bonds between people or groups, as long as they aren't too deep a connection. Afton can persuade you to his way of thinking if you are unsure or undecided," she nodded to each of her fellows in turn.

"Do you have a gift?"

"My magic is my gift, but it's much stronger. I can use spells against vampires that wizards can't. I can keep out Aro, which even Draco couldn't. Demetri can't read me, but he let me know he can read wizards in general. Now that I've gotten used to it, I feel a control over my magic I've never felt before. I'm even starting to explore wandless magic. It has it's downfalls, I'm more prone to accidental magic now, but it has been quite the help in Volterra."

"What kind of accidental magic have you performed?"

"Shields that knock over people who startle me. Vanishing things when I'm upset. Things have a tendency to break or burn when I'm... finishing."

"Must make your sex life interesting," he managed a chuckle.

"I've put up fortifications in my chamber. And most other places we use. But there have been a couple spur-of-the-moment times where we've done some property damage. Aro was quite amused about that bench in the antechamber... but that's neither here nor there. Once we get over this honeymoon phase it should be easier to do damage control."

"Okay, that was a little more than I needed to know," he laughed.

"It's good to see you smiling, Harry," she muttered, pulling him in for a cautious hug.

"It's something that hasn't happened in a while. It feels good," he returned the hug enthusiastically. "I've missed you so much, Hermione."

"I've missed you, too," she whispered before taking the wards down and inviting Jasper and George to join them.


	25. A Weary Welcome Back

The Order were gathered in the back yard of the Burrow, where Molly had hastily put out a long picnic table and had whatever food she could make at a moment's notice. Draco had contacted her a few hours prior calling for an emergency Order meeting, and many were arriving still in their work clothes. McGonagall had cancelled hers, Snape's and Hagrid's classes so they could come. Kingsley was the last to arrive, his arms full of the same maps and booklets he had at the last meeting.

"I hope these emergency meetings aren't going to turn into regular occurrences," Lupin grumbled, sitting next to Hagrid. "Andromeda cancelled a night out for me to come here."

"I thought we wanted to get rid of the Avery situation as soon as possible," Draco snapped.

"Are you feeling okay, dear?" Narcissa asked in a hushed voice.

"I'm fine, Mum," he replied as Harry and George suddenly appeared next to the house and rushed forwards, stomachs grumbling audibly, to raid the food Molly had laid out.

"She's arranging a port key. They'll be here in a couple minutes," Harry whispered.

"Think we should warn them?" George asked as he reached for a sandwich.

"Draco?" Kingsley's voice cut across them. "You called this meeting. Let's start it."

"Right," Draco muttered. "Er, well, last time you were here, you expressed concern about the vampire situation. I thought of someone, well, several people, actually, who might be able to help. Harry, George, and I went to them, and they agreed to come."

"Who are they?" he asked sharply.

He took a deep breath. "The Volturi."

The response was mixed. Several people looked towards each other in confusion, knowing they had heard the name before and trying to pull the information from their brain. The Aurors were looking nervous and upset, a few muttering aloud, wondering how the vampires were contacted and agreed to come so quickly.

"How many?" Lupin growled.

"Five. They're on their way."

"Send them back," the werewolf snarled. "We don't need their help. You're only making the problem worse bringing more of them around."

"It's kind of late. They'll be here any moment."

"We cannot guarantee their loyalty to us! They can turn on us as easily as they destroy their own kind!"

"There is one with them who will guarantee their cooperation with the Order," he muttered, turning towards a glowing spot that appeared just beyond the garden. Five tiny figures appeared in the spot of light, growing rapidly until they landed gracefully in a group. As if they had choreographed their entrance they fanned out into a line, a black-cloaked figure with their hood obscuring their face in the lead, two gray-cloaked figures on either side, their faces white in the evening, red eyes scanning the group in front of them with stoic expressions. They stepped forward at the same time as if by unseen signal, moving across the garden, and stopping about ten feet away from the shocked looking wizards and witches.

"They brought one of the ancients?" an Auror whispered. "They must think this a serious breech."

Everyone stared at the vampires, who stood still as statues.

"If you know what is best for you, you will leave now," Lupin warned through clenched teeth.

"That's no way to talk to an old friend, mutt," Jasper sneered.

"You are no friend of mine, leech," he shot back.

"I am," the black-cloaked figure said. There was a moment silence as they all stared at her, then Hermione reached up and pulled her hood down.

"Hermione?" the gasp echoed around the table.

"No," Hagrid repeated, shaking his head. Beside him McGonagall went pale white. Snape sat next to them, looking somewhat smug. Molly was weeping silently, a shocked-looking Ginny next to her, trying to rub her mom's back in support, but rubbing the tablecloth instead.

"Hermione Granger is not dead, it seems," Snape finally drawled.

"Not in the way you thought I was," she replied.

Lupin looked pained, and his head fell between his knees.

"You're with the Volturi now?" Kingsley asked slowly.

"Yes. I have been for several months now."

"And high-ranking, I see."

"It's just a cloak."

"Don't be so modest, Mistress," Demetri sneered.

She growled a warning to him before turning back to the Minister. "Whoever created the newborns violated our laws, and needs to be taken care of. And the newborns as well."

"What, don't want to modify their memories and baby them until they're ready to go out on their own? Perhaps bring them down to Volterra to join us? Burn the book, while you're at it, as you see no need to read it."

"What does that mean?" Kingsley asked.

"Demetri is somewhat of a purist when it comes to our laws," Hermione said before Demetri could reply. "He feels we should eliminate _everyone_ involved in this mess, as our law states, despite my arguments that it is different when the situation involves witches and wizards with a prior knowledge of vampires."

"Hermione is somewhat of a recusant when it comes to our laws," Demetri shot back. "She feels we should just wipe memories of everyone involved, including the offenders, and let them continue with their happy lives."

"I will not debate this with you right now, Demetri. I order you to keep your mouth shut unless you feel you have an idea that will improve what we are planning."

"Yes, Mistress," he smirked.

She let off a soft snarl, and he returned with a sickly sweet smile. Jasper rolled his eyes and a feeling of calm swept over the gathering.

"Is someone doing that?" Ginny asked, looking around, confused. "Suddenly I'm not so stressed that it looks like two vampires are about to rip each others heads off right in front of me."

"That would be me and my gift," Jasper muttered. "I thought I would diffuse the situation slightly, before heads rolled."

"The Volturi are known for recruiting vampires with special gifts," Kingsley explained.

"They only keep me because I'm with Hermione," Jasper muttered, meaning to keep it to himself, but it carried in the silence that had enveloped the room.

"I'm surprised they keep _anyone_ with Hermione around," Demetri rolled his eyes.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ginny asked the question on everyones lips.

"Think about it," he drawled. "Superhuman beauty. Superhuman speed. Superhuman strength. Do you think her magic would have stayed the same?"

All eyes shifted to Hermione, who was looking uncomfortable.

"I was there when she tried to perform a simple Aguamenti spell and flooded the chamber. I've been around Vampire Hunters. The new ones always try to hit us with a Killing Curse. It doesn't work, just hurts like hell and leaves a mark. Hermione's does work. Apparently it takes a vampire to kill a vampire."

There were a few seconds of tense silence, in which Jasper wrapped himself protectively around Hermione and muttered in her ear so low no one around them, not even the other vampires, could tell what he was saying.

"I will not order you to stay, Demetri," she muttered after a moment. "If any of you disapprove of my tactics, or of our alliance with these witches and wizards, you may leave now."

"The only one I really object to is _him_," Demetri replied with a nod towards Lupin.

"Demetri..." Chelsea hissed in warning.

"That's a Child of the Moon," he hissed at Hermione, speaking quickly so the humans didn't know what he was saying.

"Yes, it is," she muttered back just as quickly. "And we will not be touching him."

"Caius will have our heads if he finds out we were around one and didn't dispatch him."

"I will answer to Caius. We are here in work in harmony with the Order, not anger them by killing one of their members."

"Hermione, you know the law..."

"I know the law, Demetri," she said, now back at a normal pace. "And I know who has been named head of this mission. While we are here you answer to me, and should we do something to anger Caius, I shall deal with him."

Demetri's eyes narrowed as the group, which had gotten quiet at their quick exchange that lasted less than two seconds. "For when Aro asks, make sure you clarify my position. You know they'll forgive you, the rest of us aren't so lucky as to be carrying wands."

Jasper gave a soft growl in warning and turned to advance on Demetri.

"Jasper, love, peace," Hermione whispered, putting her hand on his arm and drawing him back. "If you object to what I have decided, leave now."

"You can't keep me from a fight," Demetri smiled. "But since you're in charge and all, I don't feel the need to be here for this. I'm going to go find that sweet little thing I caught scent of in the airport. If that's alright with you."

"Go," she shook her head. "Be back here before sunrise. We'll camp in the forest."

He nodded, turned on the spot, and bolted off. Chelsea approached Hermione, and spoke quickly to her.

"Don't worry about him. He's always had a thing about riling people up, it's something to keep him occupied and entertained. And he's testing you, seeing if you're worthy enough of the responsibility Aro, Caius, and Marcus have given you," she said comfortingly.

"I know. It's something toddlers do, so I would expect it from him," she replied with a smile.

"Let's do this meeting. We'll deal with the drama king later."

"So be it," she replied, stepping towards the table. Jasper held a chair out for her, and she slid next to Lupin, who couldn't tear his eyes off her. She kept her eyes looking pointedly away from her. Next to them Afton held a chair for Chelsea. The men didn't sit, they stood like sentries above their mates.

"I apologize," Hermione nodded to the group, speaking at human speed again. "Let's continue with the planning, shall we?"

"Yes. Of course," Kingsley said, looking momentarily confused, but he grabbed a map and rolled it out across the table. It magically replicated itself, the copies sliding until they were in places so everyone could see. "We have the perimeter mapped out," he said, tapping his map, and a blue line appeared on all of the maps. "They have four vampires now patrolling the perimeter, usually three at a time. The fourth is out hunting. We were going to pick off the odd one, but I'll now defer to the Volturi on how to proceed."

"It would be best to confront all four at once, lest we risk one escaping," Hermione responded. "However, we feel the need to find the one who made them first. Should word get out that we are here, they may realize we are coming for them and attempt to run."

"Of course. We'll need a couple more days before we try to take the stronghold. That gives you some time to find the maker and take care of them. Now, when we do actually go in there..."

The conversation on their strategy lasted an hour and a half, after which Kingsley dismissed them. Several people lingered, all wanting to talk to Hermione. Chelsea and Afton wandered to the garden to avoid the crowd, but Jasper stayed next to Hermione, always in contact with her. She was given cautious hugs from the Weasleys, a tight hug from Hagrid, and a polite handshake from McGonagall. Snape even approached her.

"Is it true that it was you who got to Lucius Malfoy?" he asked.

"Yes. And I won't apologize," she replied, head held high.

"I see no need. You can hardly think you're the only one who would do so after being changed."

"Are you saying there's a line of people who wanted Lucius dead?"

"I'm saying his funeral was not well-attended."

"Were you there, Professor?"

"No," he shook his head once. "I saw no need to pretend to be saddened by seeing him off. From what I remember Narcissa had to bribe Draco to be there. Speaking of which, the boy was much more distraught when he learned of your death. Are we going to see another newborn vampire in our group soon?"

Jasper growled and placed his arm around Hermione, drawing her close. He stared, unblinking, at Snape.

"I see. He is my Godson, I was only looking out for his best interests. Good to see you back, Ms. Granger."

"Good to see you, too, Professor," she muttered as he stalked off. Her eyes followed him until he Apparated, then she shifted her focus slightly to the left and saw a solitary figure leaning against a tree, staring at her.

"Should we go set up the tent, love?" Jasper whispered into her hair.

"Just a minute," she said, motioning for him to stay put. She walked slowly towards the solitary figure, but stopped several feet shy of them.

"Hullo, Remus," she whispered.

"Ms. Granger," he nodded.

A wounded look passed quickly over her face. "It's going to be like that, then, is it?"

"I have the entire English werewolf community looking for the vampire who killed you, and suddenly I learn I should be sending them after you."

"If you feel the need to have them hunt me down..."

"What? Do you expect me to send them to Volterra? Into your palace of death for the slaughter? Not likely."

There was a silence. "I did not ask for this, Remus."

"You aren't exactly rejecting the lifestyle, either. You seem to have found a good home with the biggest bunch of parasites around."

"I've found a good place in this life. I'm doing the best I can with the cards I've been dealt."

"After you attempted to fold your hand," his voice cracked.

She studied him for a couple seconds. "That night was between two people who had lost their loves. It was sex purely for physical release. We had agreed on that before hand."

"You had insisted on that before hand," he countered.

"You didn't have any objections at the time. Had I known that this is what would come of it, I would have never done it. I was caught up in the moment, I needed physical closeness, and I was under the impression that it was just between us, and it was going to stay in that room. You needed the same thing. You're not ready to be over Tonks yet, Remus."

"How would you know? You've been gone a year."

"I've been adjusting..."

"You've been avoiding!" he snapped, advancing on her. "You run away from your problems, you always have, and look where it's landed you? You're a bloody bloodsucking murderer!"

Suddenly Jasper was in front of her, arms spread wide to protect her, a loud growl erupting from between his bared teeth.

"Bring it on, leech," Lupin hissed, drawing his wand. "Did you take her from us? Did you steal her soul?"

Jasper launched himself forward, arm drawn back, ready to rocket forward and connect with the side of Lupin's head. Lupin moved his wand in a wide arc, and a burst of green light shot forward. Hermione collided with Jasper's legs, pulling him out of the path of the spell and away from Lupin. Jasper was up in less than a second, but she wrapped her arms around him to stop him, and he refused to break her embrace.

"I'm not a child you need to protect anymore," she hissed at Lupin.

"You were hardly ever a child, and rarely in need of protecting," he shot back, looking sad. He shot one last murderous look at Jasper before turning and disappearing. Hermione turned back to the group, which had all stopped mid-conversation to watch the vampire and werewolf confrontation go down. Harry had Ginny in his arms, and was refusing to look at Hermione. She grabbed her things and, without looking back, walked into the woods to set up camp for the Volturi. They were working together, but just as divided as before, and Hermione was afraid that too soon she'd have to pick a side.


	26. A Witch First

**A/N: This chapter is half mine, half a gift to my tiny, annoying muse, TMBI. **

**Enjoy, and please review.**

It was a warm night, so Diagon Alley was still active when the sun went down. People were wandering lazily between shops, it was the type of night where lots of people came through, but no one made any major purposes.

For security's sake, Apparation in and Portkey arrival was now restricted to a certain area near the entrance by the Leaky Cauldron. So the blue light that signaled someone arriving by Portkey was not wholly unexpected. The sight of the five cloaked figures, however, was.

At first there was panic. The last time dark-cloaked figures had strolled through the Alley was during Voldemort's time at the top, and the Death Eaters strolled proudly towards their next kill. But these were beautiful, pale faces, not grotesque silver masks, and the panic subsided momentarily.

But fear quickly returned as those watching the cloaked figures move swiftly down the road realized what had just happened. Five vampires were now in their midst, looking menacing as their cloaks billowed softly behind their gliding feet. The woman closest to them screamed and Apparated away, drawing attention from shoppers all down the street. A wave of silence passed over the crowd as the vampires walked through them. As they moved people quickly got out of their way, their eyes never leaving the five figures. Parents pushed their children behind them, the same children looked around and through legs to get a better look at the 'pretty people'. Wands were drawn, some even pointed, but no one dared cast a spell.

The vampires turned down Knockturn Alley, and several people leaned into the entrance to watch as the cloaks disappeared into shadows. They passed shop windows with people staring out them, and stopped in front of a dingy looking bar called 'the Lair'. From what Draco had told them about the dirty, yet modern club mostly patronized by former Slytherins, it wasn't uncommon for members of the London Coven of vampires to come in and mingle in a place they didn't have to hide. Rather, it was more uncommon not to see a vampire in there at night than it was to see one.

Jasper and Demetri stepped in first, followed by Hermione. Afton and Chelsea ran around the building to stand by the back door.

Hermione could tell they were in luck as soon as they walked into the dark room. Three vampires were sitting among the wizards, one male at the bar speaking in muted German to a foreign wizard, another male sitting surrounded by admiring looking witches, and a female standing against the wall, a wizard kissing her neck passionately.

"Let's go, lover," the female vampire muttered, eyes wide in horror at the new arrivals. "It's not safe here tonight." She grabbed the wizard's hand and pulled him through towards the other end of the bar, but Afton and Chelsea were waiting.

"Stay, _lover_," Afton sneered.

"Come," Demetri motioned for the vampires, who all hesitantly stepped forward. Without asking they knelt in front of Hermione, afraid to look up at her. Annoyance flashed across her face, but a quick touch from Jasper and she focused on the task at hand.

"Who is making the newborns for Avery?" she demanded, not wanting to beat around the bush.

"Not I," they replied in unison.

"I did not expect a different answer. Nor did I ask who didn't do it. I asked who did."

They exchanged quick glances. The wizards and witches in the bar had all gathered by the back exit. They'd rather take their chances with Afton and Chelsea than Hermione.

"If you do not tell me what you know, then I will have to hold you accountable," she said firmly, really hoping it didn't come to that.

The three vampires stayed silent. Hermione looked up at Chelsea, who nodded. A minute later she nodded again- she had weakened their bonds to their coven.

"I will ask one more time," she warned, pulling her wand out. "And then I will be forced to dispose of you and search for the information elsewhere." She paused while the three worked through their options in their heads. She raised her wand and held it towards one of the males.

"Richard!" the female shouted. "Richard and his mate Olivia. They are tried of living in the dirtiest parts of London, in what they call the filth with the bottom rung of society. They want an open hunting land somewhere secluded, and Avery offered it to him as long as he supplied a stream of newborns."

"Where is this Richard?" Jasper asked.

"He's still living in an abandoned business London. Avery hasn't delivered on his promise yet," the male she was pointed her wand towards answered. "He says we have to wait until he gains some more power, until he starts taking care of the Order of the Phoenix and can start taking land from the nearby Muggles without retribution."

"You think he's lying?" he asked curiously.

"I know he's lying," the male said confidently. "Richard may be our creator, but he's always been a little off. He says he picks us for our potential, our beauty, but he really picks us when he needs new company. His newborns have always been reliant upon him for years, he likes the feeling. But the older we get, the more independent we become, the more ludicrous his ideas become. He was the fourth vampire Avery approached, the rest of us realized that you'd be coming to get us if we did what he asked. But to Richard it was his opportunity for glory. He agreed despite our warnings."

"Will you stand against us for him?" Demetri asked.

"No," the other male answered. "We warned him, he went against our warnings. We knew if this ever made it's way down to Italy you'd be up here in a heartbeat. I have no desire to go down with him, especially since I can see you have acquired great power recently," he added, looking at Hermione's wand.

"Either of you?"

The female and the other male shook their heads.

"Take us to him," Hermione demanded.

The female motioned for them to follow her. She left out the back exit to the bar, through narrow streets, ducking between buildings, moving into darker and dirtier parts of wizarding London Hermione had never seen nor dreamed of. Finally they reached a manhole, which the female pointed wordlessly to. Demetri reached down and lifted the cover. Jasper jumped down first.

"It's clear," he called back up. Afton was next down the hole, then Demetri. They waited to catch Chelsea.

"Your turn," Hermione said to the female.

"Why do I have to go?" the woman asked in horror.

"Unless they are directly below us, your lead is still needed."

The female studied her, then jumped down. Hermione was last into the hole, holding onto a rung of the metal ladder so she could reach up and cover the manhole back up. She dropped, and just before she hit the ground Jasper's arms wrapped tightly around her. He lowered her the last few inches to the floor, and they took off down the sewer. A few hundred yards later the female opened a door, and they stepped out of the dank sewer into a tunnel of the underground. They bolted down a tunnel, then came to a station shut down for construction. They walked up the stairs, turned down one more alley, and ducked into a boarded up bakery.

"Richard!" the female called, coming no closer than the entrance. "You need to come out here."

An older-looking vampire, white hair tied back at the nape of his neck, wearing a dated suit appeared, with a red-haired vampire woman clutching onto his arm.

"Oh, no, Richard," the redhead, Olivia, whispered at the sight of the Volturi vampires standing in a line.

"It'll be okay, my love," he whispered back.

"Don't promise what you can't deliver," Demetri snarled.

"You have been accused of providing newborns to wizards in return for the promise of payment in the form of hunting grounds. Do you deny this?" Chelsea asked quickly.

"I doubt that even if I did that you'd believe me," Richard replied with a chuckle.

"Do you have anything to say in your defense?"

"Only that my mate had nothing to do with my plans, and it would be unfair to punish her with me."

"That's not true!" Olivia hissed. "I encouraged him! I helped him pick out the ideal people who would make newborns that would do well in the guard position. I am just as guilty as Richard is."

"No, my love, don't tell them lies. You will only burn with me."

"It's not a lie, and either way, I'll burn with you," she said, looking lovingly into his eyes. "I can't live without you, I refuse to."

Hermione looked at Jasper, who was looking at her with an intense gaze. She looked quickly back at the couple, which were now sharing a final embrace. She felt bad for what she was about to do, but knew she had to complete what they had gone there to do. What Richard had done was dangerous, and threatened exposure of their world. But just because it was her job to destroy him didn't make her not human enough to enjoy doing it.

"Please. Make it quick," Richard muttered, not drawing his gaze from Olivia's eyes.

Hermione brought her wand down twice quickly, and in less than a second Richard and Olivia were gone.

"What to do with this one, Mistress?" Demetri asked, suddenly grabbing the female by her arm.

"She goes free," Hermione said glumly.

"She associated with the lawbreaker," he protested.

"She did not participate. She can go, with the extreme warning that she is out of chances. Should we be forced to come back here, we will do to her what we did to these two."

"Yes, Mistress," the female nodded enthusiastically. She bowed down and kissed the hem of Hermione's cloak, which caused the witch to growl, and was gone in the blink of an eye.

"Recusant," Demetri sighed.

"More flies with honey," Hermione replied. "Are you coming back with us?"

"Yes," they answered in unison.

"We're going to work through some forest maneuvers to prepare for the newborns," Afton added.

Hermione tapped her cloak, which she used for a Portkey, and within seconds they had left the abandoned business and landed in the woods by their tent.

Voices carried from the Burrow, many voices, some Hermione had never heard before. There were some loud bangs followed by a few shrieks of terror. She grabbed Jasper's hand and they ran through the woods. But the battle they came across a large tent, set just inside the Burrow's property. The Muggles wandering around the tent didn't seem to notice the teetering old house, perhaps the wards had been lifted just enough to allow the monstrosity of a tent.

"'Mione!" George called, running towards them. He had been made-up to look like a clown, albeit one that even gave her the shivers.

"What's going on?" Hermione asked as she and Jasper ran for her friend.

"Forget it's Halloween, did you?"

She and Jasper both scowled. Halloween wasn't a night they wanted to remember.

"Mum let me put this up this year, to allow the Muggles to walk through a 'real' haunted house. They love it- from they're saying I hear it's terrifying. Several had to leave before they made it all the way through. I could use a couple of vampires to help spice things up a bit... no one felt it was appropriate to play the part. I came to ask you when I finished setting up the tent, but you had already left on your mission."

"No, George," she said firmly.

"Please?"

"I hardly think us running around up there pretending to be what we really are..."

"Harry and Ginny are up there. Ginny's a corpse bride, and Harry dressed up like Snape... er, the Schoolmaster from Hell."

"Don't you think it's a little unfair that you'd get us to play vampires?" she asked, eyes serious, but a flash of a smile crossing her face.

"You hardly look like what Muggles think vampires are supposed to look like."

"What do you think is appropriate?" she asked.

"This," his smirked, waving his wand at her. Instantly her clothes contorted themselves into a red and black, 1800's inspired, corset-topped dress, the whole thing looked worn, frayed in places, the bottom torn off around her knees, like it had been worn for years. Her cloak stayed the same, as well as the locket and Volturi pendant that still hung around her neck, but she was now wearing black makeup around her eyes and blood red lips.

Jasper couldn't help it. He burst out laughing at her look of complete loathing.

"I didn't forget you," George said again, and with another wave of his wand Jasper was wearing a black military-style suit which also looked worn, but in much better condition than the dress.

"This isn't that bad," Jasper shrugged, looking over his outfit.

"That's not fair," she grumbled. "He dressed like that before."

"I think you look spiffing," George said. "Just one more thing..." With a final wave of his wand their canines grew into sharp fangs.

"George Weasley!" she growled in a voice that left no doubt she was a microsecond from killing him.

"It's not permanent!" he suddenly realized his mistake, baking up. "It's only until one when the tent closes."

"If it becomes one minute after one and they aren't gone, I'll be using them on you," she snapped, grabbing Jasper's hand and pulling him towards the tent.

"Just go in and scare people, or scare people in line, whatever you want to do!" he called after them.

"We don't have to do this if you're so angry," Jasper stopped them short by grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her to him. She rested her head on his chest.

Suddenly her mood changed. The anger quickly left. Her shoulders started shaking in silent laughter.

"I can't believe you find this funny!"

"It's George Bloody Weasley. This is a coping mechanism for him. He's forcing me to be nothing more than the Hermione he knew. I'm relived that someone isn't treating me as completely different."

"So we're going to have to go out there like this?"

"You don't have to go if you don't want to, but I'm going," she nodded. "It'll be fun."

He sighed. He didn't want to go in public, but showing that he was interested in her friends and the happenings of the world she left behind would make her happy. And in he end, it was most important to have a happy mate.

"That dress _is_ sexy on you," he muttered, eyes wandering up her legs. "I may have to destroy it a little more thoroughly later," he added before sucking her earlobe gently.

Her hands tightened on his arms and she sucked in a deep breath as a wave of lust passed over her. "I know what you're doing, and you can stop it now," she grumbled with little conviction behind the words.

"Are you sure you want me to stop?" he asked, lips trailing down her jaw, then kissing slowly down the side of her neck.

"No..." she moaned as he tugged part of her cloak aside with his teeth.

"Yes," came a voice from behind her. They both spun quickly to find Harry, dressed in a high-necked black suit, hair magically lengthened, wearing a scowl similar to Snape's.

"Sorry, Harry," she muttered, stepping away from Jasper, but he was having none of it and enveloped her from behind, kissing her shoulder.

"Just a few more hours of this, you two, and then you can go do dirty things," he pleaded, pointedly looking away from Jasper.

"You look... convincing. What did you put in your hair to make it greasy like that?"

"Shortening," he said with the flash of a smile across his face.

"You look like Severus. You better hope no pictures from tonight make it back to him."

"I didn't think of that," he frowned. "You coming in?" he added, motioning towards the exit of the tent where a couple teenagers stumbled out, giggling nervously.

"Yes," she said, making her way towards the tent flap. Just as she reached for the fabric two more teens stumbled out. One of them screamed at the sight of Hermione and Jasper.

"Wicked contacts. Where did you get them?" the other asked, staring into Hermione's eyes. A feeling of hostility swept over them.

"Natural, of course," she smiled sweetly as the two took a couple steps back.

"Let's go," the first muttered, grabbing the other by the arm and pulling them away. As they walked back towards the town Hermione heard them mutter, "Those were the most realistic vampire costumes I've ever seen."


	27. but a Vampire Always

**A/N: I have writer's block when it comes to my other stories. Good news for fans of this one, bad news for fans of the others. Maybe if I stop working eleven hour days I might be able to think a little better. **

**Thanks to everyone who has reviewed this so far. Reviews make me want to keep going. And I promise, I have three more chapters before the Cullens show up. Soon enough, people, have patience. I don't want to rush things, I want to make it realistic-ish.**

**Enjoy, and happy belated Mother's Day to any moms out there. Totall off subject, but my hubby got me Harry Potter themed stuff for Mother's Day, plus chocolate and flowers, so I'm a happy Rose right now ;)**

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Somewhere between in the Eastern part of England was a large farm. From the outside world everything about the farm appeared normal, crops were sown, things went in and out, people were seen on the property on a regular basis. Occasionally the farm worker would wander into town to the pub or to do a little shopping, and while they were reserved, none of the locals thought that there was anything unusual about the farm and its workers.

The farm, however, was about as far away from ordinary as possible. It was a working farm, but all the workers were Squibs, with the occasional house-elf who came out at night to help grow the vegetables that would be served at the Ministry of Magic later. The farm, however, extended only ten feet below the ground, and one of the sheds was nothing more than an Apparation point that led down to the large Auror training facility held underneath the fifty five acre property. A large, stadium-like facility was hidden deep below the earth, designed to be easily changed between settings depending on the needs of the training. As Harry walked into an open-glass viewing area overlooking the whole setting he saw it was set up as a thick forest. On one side the facility the Volturi vampires were laughing about something. The viewing area was unable to be seen from the stadium below, and it could be moved in order to get a better look at the action. Harry stood, looking down over the center of the forest, with only a few entrances to the stadium visible.

"You still don't feel up to joining them?" Kingsley asked as he moved to stand next to Harry.

"I can't view her as a target," Harry replied, eyes locked on Hermione's form as Jasper enveloped her in his arms and kissed her cheek.

"Do you think that she feels the same way?" he asked.

"I think so. She is very professional in what she's doing now, but she's still my friend."

Far below them Demetri and Jasper started to spar, moving as blurs, lunging, ducking, swinging, trying to get a hold of each other since the first once who managed to get a hand on the other would almost always win. Kingsley and Harry watched in silence as the two vampires moved in a cautious death dance before Jasper managed to fake Demetri out, grab his arm, throw him against a large boulder and get a hand on either side of his head. Demetri only looked mildly peeved as Jasper claimed victory.

"They are quite fast, aren't they?" Kingsley muttered, noting the whole thing had taken less than a minute.

"They are. The group is going to have a difficult time with this one."

"Times," Kingsley corrected with a chuckle. "We're probably going to have to run this more than once. I have a feeling that the Volturi are coming into this with something to prove. For so long wizards have claimed they are better than vampires, it's only natural for the vampires for want to show they are superior in a way. Though Hermione is the trump card, with her ability."

"Hermione thought it would be best to simulate an all-vampire situation," Harry said, pulling her wand out of his pocket. "She's not using magic down there."

On the other side of the stadium five Aurors entered the arena, looking around as if they expected the vampires to jump out of them at any second.

Kingsley pressed his wand to his throat. "The rules are simple. Whichever side takes out the other first shall be the winner. Wizards, only marking spells are to be used offensively, though feel free to cast any kind of defensive or shield spell you deem necessary. If a vampire gets hit by a marking spell it will cause a large green X on their clothes, which means you are not to continue in the simulation. Vampires, as you came here today a spell was placed on your hands. This spell will mark the clothes of any part of the Auror's robes they touch. Aurors, if a vampire touches you that means you wouldn't have time to react properly in the real world, and that you are not to continue in the simulation. Do you understand?"

"Yes," rang from the Aurors. The vampires chose to nod as to not give away their position. There were many entrances to the stadium, and they now knew where the Aurors were, which gave them a great advantage.

The lights in the stadium went down, simulating the twilight raid that they were planning for Avery's compound the next night. Harry watched as the Aurors fanned out into a line, moving quietly into the underbrush. He looked back to the vampires, but was surprised to see them not there. His eyes moved quickly over their side of the stadium, looking for any sign of where the Volturi might have gone.

Suddenly the tree in front of where they were standing rustled, and Hermione jumped, cat-like, up the branches, standing on a thick branch not ten feet away from where Harry was standing. Her hood was up, she was pressed against the trunk, standing as still as a statue, and had Harry not been so close he wouldn't be able to see her. Only her eyes moved, up towards another tree, where Harry saw Jasper perched, peeking through some leaves. Far below he caught another quick movement, seeing Chelsea jump silently from a boulder, over a small stream, and finally sliding behind a large fallen log. She straightened up long enough to throw a decent sized rock about two hundred feet away. It hit the stream, sounding almost like a heavy footstep. The Aurors immediately reacted, changing course to head towards the sound. Hermione immediately starting talking rapidly in a low voice, but Harry knew the other vampires could hear her.

The only movement that Harry or Kingsley could see for the next few minutes came from the Aurors, moving cautiously across the forest floor, two always keeping an eye out behind them. They moved as a group, moving as quietly as possible, though it wouldn't help. Hermione watched as an Auror passed right under her, eyes looking quickly around, but never looking up. Even if his head did start swinging towards her, Harry doubted Hermione would stick around long enough to be spotted.

As if on an invisible cue Hermione ran as far as the branch would support her weight and launched herself at the nearest Auror. Too late the wizard noticed that there was something moving through the air. He turned, blindly firing off a spell that went six feet wide of the attacking vampire. Before he could move his wand again Hermione had knocked him to the ground, disappearing into the brush as quickly as she had attacked, two hand marks shining just below the Auror's neck.

Harry looked around, and saw that Hermione's retreat was pre-emptive. The Volturi had attacked as one, and the Aurors were now all sporting red hand marks on their backs or by their necks. The vampires had re-grouped near their entrance, checking each other for green marks that weren't there and congratulating each other on a job well done.

"Remarkable," Kingsley muttered as the Aurors wiped their clothes clean of the handprints and regrouped for another simulation.

Harry's stomach had dropped as Hermione flew through the air towards the Auror. She didn't need a wand, she didn't need magic to be deadly now. This was far from the girl he knew so well. And as much as the Weasleys were doing their best to view her as nothing more than the same girl she always one, just one Mrs. Weasley couldn't stuff full with third helpings, Hermione was much more the stuff of nightmares than the good friend she used to be.

They ran the simulation half a dozen times, and each time the vampires kept changing tactics, never doing anything similar twice in a row. They moved as individuals, but attacked as a group, from the sides, the back, one time popping up from under the waters of the stream. One time they were even so brazen as to just rush across the stadium and attack head-on, and this was the only time any of them were taken down as Afton and Demetri both wound up getting hit by spells. Even though Hermione, Chelsea, and Jasper managed to get hands on the wizards without getting hit by a spell, the Aurors celebrated as if they had won.

After the seventh simulation, where the wizards managed to keep the vampires at bay for five minutes before one slipped up and allowed a hole big enough the vampires managed to slip in, Hermione announced that she and the other vampires needed to hunt that night to get ready for the raid. Kingsley dismissed the group, and Hermione led her fellows upstairs.

"Anyone wish to go back to London to hunt?" she asked as they stood in the shed. One of the Aurors passed into the Apparation zone, pressing his body as far as he possibly could into the wall, and Apparating away as soon as he could.

"No, we're just going to work our way North, and hunt wherever we so happen to pass through," Chelsea shook her head. "We're not big fans of magical transportation."

"I'm just going to follow them," Demetri nodded towards Chelsea and Afton.

"Good. Stay close to them, and I'll be there an hour early so you can track Jasper and meet up with us," Hermione nodded.

"If you can keep your hands off him that long," Demetri rolled his eyes.

She let the comment slide. "I'll see you an hour before sundown tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you!" Chelsea said as the three streaked away across the farm.

Hermione heard Harry and Kingsley approaching from below, so she waited.

"That was... quite enlightening," the Minister said as he nodded to Hermione.

"That was our best shots, I believe," she smiled back at him. "The newborns won't be nearly that difficult, depending on how much the wizards are willing to fight for them."

"I can honestly say that I am glad to count the Volturi among our allies."

"It's good to be an ally," she nodded.

"My second Inaugural Ball is coming up this Saturday, and I would love to announce a truce with the Volturi. I think that a continued partnership and respect between our groups could be nothing but beneficial."

"We would love to come, but I must run it by Aro," she said. "I can't believe he wouldn't be amenable to a truce between us and the Ministry."

"Let me know as soon as possible."

"I'll have your answer after the raid tomorrow," she promised.

Kingsley nodded, shook her and Jasper's hands, then Disapparated.

Harry moved to walk past them, but Hermione stopped him.

"What did I do, Harry?" she muttered. "I thought we were okay after the plane ride."

"We're okay, _he_ attacked Lupin," he grumbled, jerking his head towards Jasper.

"He was advancing on my mate..." Jasper defended.

"Your _mate?_" Harry snapped. "She's _our _friend!"

"I'm both!" Hermione cut in.

They both looked at her in surprise.

"You mean so much to me, Harry. After everything we've been through together... I wouldn't want anyone else as my closest friend and confidant. And Jasper is my lover, my... mate," she locked eyes with him, and he couldn't help but flash a smile. "I can't choose between the two of you."

"You have. You're living in Italy, you didn't even bother telling me you weren't dead."

"I was planning to," she said softly. "I thought it would be best to tell you in person, and I thought it would be best if I wouldn't be tempted by your blood when I told you."

"You're still a Volturi member. You were fighting on their side rather than the Aurors in those simulations."

"I was helping your Aurors realize what they might be up against if they rush in there and there are still newborns about. Just because we know about four doesn't mean that's all there is, and how often do they get to train with real vampires? And as for being a Volturi member, you're just going to have to trust me on that one. I feel a compulsion of sorts to be there. Like leaving would be a grave mistake."

"What does that mean, Miss I-Think-Divination-is-Bull?"

"I don't know. I just feel like something big is coming, and that I need to be in Volterra when it happens."

He opened his mouth, but changed his mind about protesting. "Is whatever it is that's coming going to allow you to come back to us?"

"I don't know," she replied honestly.

There was a minute's silence. "Did you say you were going to London to hunt?" he asked in a voice barely above a breath.

"That was our plan," she replied.

"You can Apparate to Grimmauld Place with me if you want."

"Thank you, Harry," she whispered. She took his hand, grabbed Jasper's, and Apparated the small group to the front entrance of Grimmauld Place.

"Your room is still ready, if you need to put anything up there," Harry said, sounding defeated and refusing to look at her.

She nodded, and she ran upstairs.

"She's just going to change quickly," Jasper said to break the awkward silence that had descended after Hermione left.

"Oh, okay, I guess," Harry muttered, studying the man Hermione newly proclaimed as her mate. "How are... the States?" he grasped for something to sound polite.

Jasper chuckled. "The northern states are fine, peaceful, and the southern states are still a war zone. At least for our kind. Hermione seemed to enjoy Chicago when we visited Peter and Charlotte there."

"Peter and Charlotte?"

"Two very old friends. I traveled with them before coming to Europe."

His trip to Europe was nothing Harry wanted to discuss, so he just fell silent. A couple silent minutes later Hermione appeared at the top of the stairs, dressed in a black miniskirt, black corset and fishnet top, tight red jacket and red knee-high boots. She had overdone her makeup, especially for her beautiful face, but Harry realized it was to attract men to her, the wrong kind of men.

"Fishing for the bottom rung tonight, love?" Jasper asked, apparently thinking the same thing Harry was.

"Don't I always?" she replied, pulling him to her.

"Good luck," he whispered, staring deep into her eyes.

"You, too," she replied. He bent over and gave her a light kiss, then opened the door for her and followed her into the night. No one had noticed Harry flick his wand towards Hermione's boot. As soon as they were out the door Harry ran to his room, grabbed his Invisibility Cloak and Ominoculars and ran out the door, throwing the cloak over himself. His wand glowed blue and pointed to the right, and he turned that way. He kept following his wand through the city until he spotted Hermione walking in front of him. She seemed to be slowing down, looking around, the dingy part of the city the perfect place for her 'fishing'.

When she stopped on a street corner and leaned against a dark brick building he climbed up a nearby fire escape, coming to settle in front of an empty apartment on the third floor where he had a good view of Hermione on her corner. It wasn't long before she started attracting attention, but most men just leered at her or made quick comments. She looked too pretty to be a streetwalker and they seemed to be afraid she was a setup. After ten minutes a man with two scantily-clad, nervous looking girls in his wake approached. There seemed to be a quick verbal confrontation, but Harry couldn't hear what was being said.

"Did you come to watch just to be masochistic?" Jasper's voice sounded from above him. Harry looked up to see the vampire looking down at his ledge, but unfocused in a way that made Harry sure he couldn't see through the cloak, Jasper's eyes now red rather than mostly black. "Or do you have a desire to watch someone die?"

"You know..?"

"That cloak doesn't hide your scent, nor the sound of your heartbeat," he replied, swinging down and landing lightly next to Harry. He turned to watch as Hermione seemed to flirt with the man, opening the jacket to give him a look at the corset top. The man smile in approval, and the girls seemed irritated.

"I just wanted to see... I see everything that's changed about her, her beauty, her speed, her eyes, but I still can't believe that she drinks blood. I wanted to see for myself, to be sure, to know this isn't a joke."

"Masochistic," he replied, rolling his eyes.

"What's going on?" he asked, assuming Jasper was listening in to what his mate was saying.

"Apparently Hermione has 'set up shop' on the man's block," Jasper muttered. "But he's offering her work, and she's showing him how much an asset she could be. Now she's offering him a 'freebie'. This is it, you may want to look away, though if you're anything like what Hermione says about you you're going to keep watching."

Harry put the Ominoculars to his eyes, looking down into the shadows of the Alley Hermione had led the man into, leaving the two women at the opening. Hermione pressed the man against the building, pulling his jacket off as she began to kiss his neck. She loosened his shirt enough to expose his pulse point, and bent in as if to place a kiss on it. The man's eyes suddenly bulged, his hands twisted into her jacket, and Harry realized the look on his face was not fright, but ecstasy. He had no idea his life was being drained from him masked as a bit of rough foreplay. As Harry watched the terror suddenly passed over his face, and his hands tried feebly to push her off, but it was too late, and within seconds she dropped his lifeless body to the litter-covered ground.

"What is drinking blood like?" Harry asked as Hermione pulled out her wand to start transforming the body.

"Second only to sex," Jasper smiled. "Every sense is heightened, you can feel every inch of your skin, every nerve is alive... of course it's a little tougher on me, as I feel their emotions as they pass, but the blood itself is better than the best food I ever ate while human."

Hermione finished with the body and walked back towards the entrance of the alley. The girls turned towards her. She said something as her red eyes fixed on them, wiping something off the corner of her mouth and licking it off her finger, then the girls screamed and ran. Jasper chuckled, moving to jump down to the street.

"What?" Harry asked. "What did she say?"

"She told them to get out of the lifestyle, that it would kill them one day. They got the point," Jasper replied, rolling his eyes. "Overly dramatic, and it would probably give Aro a stroke, but I'm betting effective." He jumped lightly off the fire escape and landed silently on the street below. He approached Hermione, who beamed up at him as he pulled her in for a passionate kiss. Harry Apparated back to Grimmauld Place, now regretting his decision to follow Hermione, and knowing he was in for a sleepless night lest he dream about red eyed monsters chasing him down dark roads.


	28. A Great Help

**A/N: I've gotten a lot of questions as to when I'm brining the Cullens into this. Two more chapters, that's it. The ball, one more chapter you'll see when you see, then the Cullens will finally make an appearance. Try to contain yourselves.**

**I cut some stuff out of this confrontation to keep the flow going. Tell me if you think it moves too fast. Enjoy!**

**PS: FF isn't letting me run spell check, so if there's something that got by me and the check on my computer, I apologize completely.**

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The sun had barely gone down when five figures appeared in a flash of blue light in the woods outside of the small town. Rather than head toward the lights below them they turned and wandered up a narrow dirt road at a fast pace. Hermione and her fellows were in what Chelsea called 'full Volturi mode' now- the hoods of their cloaks were up in place, their pendants shone brightly on their necks, they each wore clothes made to take advantage of their speed rather than giving subtle hints towards style. They made barely a sound as they approached a dark gate hidden amongst some trees.

A solitary pale figure appeared, snarling menacingly.

"Quiet!" Hermione snapped.

"Why did he send others?" the vampire snarled. "We're doing our jobs just fine."

"We were not sent by Richard," she snapped. "Let us in, we need to speak to you and any other vampires on this property."

Another white figure streaked towards the house.

"Our orders are to let no one on this property without Avery's permission," the vampire replied.

Hermione's wand flashed, and the gate slammed open. Before the vampire could respond, the five Volturi members were inside the gate.

"What is your name, young one?" Hermione asked.

"Zion," he replied, looking a little frightened.

"Do you have any idea who we are?" she asked.

"No," he shook his head.

"His friend is returning," Demetri said. "Perhaps we should wait for his return."

Seconds later three more streaks of white stopped in front of the group, then three cracks sounded signaling the entrance of three wizards. If being outnumbered was supposed to intimidate the Volturi, it did not show on their faces.

"What's the problem 'ere?" growled one of the wizards.

"The problem is that these vampires were made against our laws, and therefore we, meaning the Volturi, have made the decision that they need to be taken care of," Chelsea replied quickly.

He huffed, probably because his brain was still processing the information. "Avery wants ter see ya."

"They come with," Demetri demanded, pointing to the newborns.

"Fine," the wizard snapped, turning and striding towards the house, the newborns forming a circle around the Volturi. Hermione knew the Minister was watching, and probably having a heart attack from her going into the building, but she knew she had it under control. She didn't even look back as they came to the large, dilapidated manor and passed through the double front doors.

"Welcome," Avery said, standing holding his arms wide in a grand gesture as they entered the large sitting room of the house. "What can I do for our good friends from Italy?"

Demetri snorted. "We are no friends with wizards, especially those who break our laws."

"I wasn't aware there was a break," he said innocently. "Is it against your rules to fraternize with newborn vampires, other than it is ill-advised for anyone with a pulse?"

"It is against our laws to buy them with the promise of hunting grounds to their maker."

"Do you have any proof that is what I did?" his eyebrow lifted.

"We have the confession of Richard before we destroyed him," Chelsea snapped. "And as cool as you think you may be, the fact that your heartbeat jumped when we mentioned a break in our laws gives you away."

"Is there no way I can appease the Volturi? We could work out an arrangement that would be beneficial..."

"The only arrangement that would appease us would be the destruction of the newborns," Demetri growled. "It is what we came here to do. You are lucky _she_ is here," he nodded towards Hermione, "and is so adverse to killing wizards."

Avery frowned. His eyes slipped over each of the vampires slowly, but lingered on Hermione.

"I wasn't aware there was a female ancient now," he said, locking eyes with her.

"I am no ancient," Hermione shot back.

"But you are high-ranking," his eyes shot to her cloak.

"She is very skilled," Afton replied nonchalantly.

"You look... familiar," he said slowly, studying her face again when his face started to light up in realization. "You're Harry Potter's little Mudblood friend, aren't you?"

The room suddenly felt very hostile.

"Don't. Call. Her. That," Jasper forced through his tightly clenched teeth.

Avery was laughing too hard to hear the warning. "This is too rich. The dark lord couldn't bring down any member of the Golden Trio, but a vampire managed the feat."

"That is enough," Hermione snapped, pulling out her wand and hitting him with a silencing charm. She advanced quickly, and before any of Avery's fellows could react she had knocked him to the ground and was standing menacingly over him. The other Volturi members were surrounding them, facing out, as if daring someone to try to come to his aid. "We came here with one job to do. Will you allow us to do our job without interference, and have us walk out of here without harming you, or has this come to a fight?"

Avery glared at her, standing up and pulling as tall as he could, pressing his own wand to his throat to lift her spell. "Fine. If you are so adverse to trying to make a deal, you may do your jobs, then get out of here."

Demetri, Jasper, Afton, and Chelsea moved in a quick movement, each capturing one of the newborns and restraining them as they looked around to the wizards for help. Hermione took care of each one quickly, causing the wizards to jump back in alarm. Without a farewell Hermione turned and led the Volturi out of the house. Three large wizards started jogging behind them to keep up. Hermione took a few steps out of the house, looked towards the gate, and reached up to scratch her neck. An everyday activity the wizards escorting the vampires out of the area didn't seem to notice, but something completely unnecessary. A signal. To the Aurors and Order members stationed around the compound.

Seconds later the first lights flew past them, hitting their three escorts and knocking them backwards. Hermione caught a quick glimpse of Harry and Bill Weasley moving through some trees as she and the rest of the vampires turned back to face the rest of the house. Instead of moving with the advancing wizards they formed a protective barrier around Chelsea and Demetri, who were now each concentrating. Chelsea was breaking the connections of those in the house to Avery and their group, Demetri was getting the tenor of their minds as to aid in hunting down any that might escape. In front of them two Aurors were securing the stunned wizards, and in the distance she could see several Hogwarts Professors surrounding the house, and the big, hulking forms of Hagrid and Olympe Maxime guarding the back entrance.

"Done," Demetri and Chelsea announced in unison.

"Too easy," Demetri added with a smirk as they ran to take up the flank position behind Harry and Kingsley.

"Ministry officials!" Kingsley announced loudly. "We have the house surrounded, come out with your hands in the air and place your wands on the ground."

The response was swift and decisive, a killing curse blasted open the front door, and Demetri had to duck to avoid getting hit. There was a flurry of movement as wizards started entering the house. Curses began flying, but Jasper and Demetri seemed to be in their element. They ducked around jets of light, launching themselves at a couple nearby wizards, who screamed as the vampires' cold hands locked around their arms.

"Capture, not kill!" Hermione shouted a reminder as she was nearly hit by a jet of light. Next to her a small fire broke out, and she had to cast an Aguamenti charm to keep it from catching on her robes. When she had turned back Harry and Kingsley had moved towards the stairs, ducking behind the banister to avoid curses coming from Avery and a couple others on the landing above them.

She took three steps and jumped, rocketing to a chandelier, and using her momentum to swing onto the landing. A witch had turned to face her, and she was quick with her spell work. Hermione ducked three rapid-fire curses before sending a binding charm at the witch, knocking her down. She now had Avery in her sights, but a howl of pain from below drew her attention. Lupin.

She jumped down off the landing, hitting the ground running. She zipped through the house, finding Lupin struggling against a large, black-haired former Death Eater in a dining room. Lupin had upended a heavy cherry wood table and was hiding behind it. The Death Eater didn't see her coming. She didn't bother with her wand, launching herself at the Death Eater from behind, wrapping her arms around him and wrestling him to the floor without a struggle. She snapped his wand and cast a binding charm on him.

"Remus," she said, looking up at Lupin, who was now standing up. He didn't even look at her as he ran from the room, heading towards the sounds of the fray. She growled in frustration, lifting the Death Eater and jumping through the window, not caring that he screamed in pain as the broken glass cut into his skin. She didn't breathe as she carried him towards the back of the house so she wasn't tempted by the blood dripping down his arm and the side of his head.

"Here, Hagrid," she muttered, tossing the Death Eater to the ground, noting there were six other bound wizards sitting behind him.

"Hermione..." he called after her, but she rushed back up the stairs into the house, passing Chelsea, who was carrying the witch Hermione had bound earlier.

"Where's Harry?" she asked.

"Upstairs. He and some blonde Auror woman have Avery cornered in a room, but he's fighting pretty hard," Chelsea replied quickly.

Hermione ran through the crowd, ducking a curse, and jumped back up to the ledge. She heard Harry shout "Stupefy!" frantically, and the sound of a body hitting the floor.

She flung open the door to a bedroom to see that it wasn't Harry's stunning spell that had hit its mark, it was the nonverbal killing curse that had felled the blonde Auror. She looked up at Avery, who was bringing his wand down in another arc, a jet of green light bursting from the tip and shooting straight for Harry.

Her instincts kicked in. She threw herself at her friend, jumping in front of the curse, which hit her in the upper part of her left arm. She growled as pain shot through her body, her wand dropping from her grasp, and she felt herself flying sideways as the power of the curse threw her into Harry, and slammed them both back into the wall. She pushed off of Harry's chest with her hand and launched herself at Avery, but this wasn't like any other mission she had been on. This was more like that first hunting trip, the one where her body betrayed her mind. Before the shocked wizard could react her one of her hands found his robes, the other found his hair, forcing his head back a fraction of a second before her teeth found the pulse point in his neck.

The next thing she was aware of was Harry's terrified panting. She swallowed once, the last traces of blood in her mouth sliding down her throat, causing the burning to subside. She turned and saw Harry, on the ground, atop the remnants of a smashed end table. His eyes were wide, and he stared, unblinking at her.

"Are you okay, Harry?" she asked, standing up and taking a step towards her friend.

He responded by gasping and backing up closer to the wall.

"Harry, what's...." she started, but she looked down and suddenly knew what was wrong. One of Harry's hands was clutching the sleeve of his right arm, and there was a red splotch starting to spread over the fabric. There was also something wet on her chin, and she swiped at it, the back of her hand coming away covered in Avery's blood.

"Harry, I'm not going to hurt you," she said in a calm voice. She walked towards him, and to the spot where she had dropped her wand.

He didn't look as if he believed her, but didn't shy away as she approached. She moved annoyingly slowly as she knelt in front of him, picked up her wand, and ran it over his cut, healing it instantly. She siphoned the blood off his shirt, and he visibly relaxed.

"Are you okay?" he asked in a hoarse whisper.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" she asked, eyebrow raising.

"Look," he said, eyes darting to her left arm.

She looked down, pulling her cloak out of the way. The sleeve of her shirt looked like it had been blasted away, and a scorch mark the size of her fist was visible just below her left shoulder, exactly where she had been hit with the killing curse.

"Hermione, love..." Jasper's voice sounded from the door. She turned to face him, and he caught sight of her arm. He beat the sound of his gasp across the room, fingers running over the mark, fright radiating through the room.

"It's okay. I'm fine. I just got hit with a curse, is all," she whispered, reaching up to run a thumb over his cheek.

His hands found the sides of her face, pulling her to him, resting his forehead against hers and closing his eyes. He swallowed hard and she could hear his jaw tighten for a moment before he started to calm down.

"How did everything go downstairs?" she asked to distract him.

"Demetri got a little... overenthusiastic with a wizard who tried to light him on fire, now he's off helping the Aurors track down three that Apparated away. Chelsea and Afton left, they said they'll meet us down at the tent in a few days. There's too many wizards and witches around, it makes them nervous, and Chelsea said there was something she had to do. They have their phones if you need to call them back."

She shook her head. "Let them go," she muttered.

"What happened here?" he asked, looking over at Avery's body.

"He shot a killing curse at Harry. I jumped in front of it, lost my wand, and defended myself the way my body was telling me to do," she replied quickly.

"Harry? Hermione?" Kingsley's voice was approaching the room. "Did you get Avery?"

"In a matter of speaking," Harry said, struggling to his feet as the Minister entered the room.

"I got a little carried away," Hermione murmured in apology.

"I guess that's the risk we run when working with vampires," Kingsley said, looking away from the body. "Um, we'll need a statement downstairs. When you're ready and all. I'll send a couple Aurors up to take care of the... scene."

Jasper steered Hermione out of the room, Harry limping behind. As soon as they made it down the stairs Ginny was running over to Harry.

"What's going on? What happened? Are you okay?" the redhead asked quickly.

"Yeah. I had a cut on my arm, Hermione fixed it, and I think I have some bruising," he said, pulling his shirt to the side, revealing the start of a hand-shaped bruise where Hermione used him to push off. "I'll be okay," he promised.

Hermione was pulled to the side by an Auror, who she gave a statement on behalf of all the Volturi. Her eyes were on Jasper the whole time, her mate seemed to be lost in thought. When she was over she bid goodbye to everyone, saying she'd see them at the ball, and walked over to Jasper.

"Ready to go?" she asked him.

"Excuse me?" he asked, coming out of his trance.

"Would you like to leave?" she asked again.

"Yes, ma'am," he said with a forced smile. She opened her mouth to ask him what's wrong, but one look at his face silenced her, at least for a while.


	29. Letting Go

**A/N: This was going to be a much shorter chapter, but I realized it had been a long time since I gave you a bit of an adult situation, so you get an extra long chapter. If you like, please reward me with a little review. Enjoy!**

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Jasper must have known that Hermione wasn't going to let his silence slide, and the next couple days she found it impossible to get a moment alone with him, at least a moment alone with him where they weren't in bed together. She tried to deny him until he talked to her, but the damn empath managed to send a wave of arousal over her, and she was lost.

That Saturday was the day of the ball, and Jasper went with George to go to Diagon Alley to find a suit (he refused to wear wizarding dress robes). Ginny, who was suddenly much more comfortable around Hermione since she saved Harry's life, insisted that the vampire women meet her at the Burrow to get ready. Molly Weasley had produced some blood pops, which Chelsea found amusing, and they locked themselves in Ginny's room while hair was being done and makeup was being applied. Chelsea's mysterious stop had been to a dress shop in London, and the new designer gown hanging from a rafter, under wraps until Chelsea was ready to dress Hermione in it.

"Aro insisted that I make you look beyond stunning," Chelsea smiled as she noticed Hermione eyeing the garment bag yet again. Hermione closed her eyes and allowed Chelsea to shape another perfect curl around her cool fingers.

"Not that difficult," Ginny muttered, trying to find a shade of eye shadow that worked well with her bottle green dress. "She looked stunning the other night with blood on her tattered shirt and that mark on her arm."

"I debated covering it up," Chelsea muttered, eyes moving to the scorch-like mark. "You know, buying a dress with sleeves or something, but all those dresses looked matronly. I guess we're going to have to deal with everyone being able to see it."

"So... you're letting Jasper dress himself?" Ginny asked Chelsea, trying to stop Hermione from saying something bitter.

"He's quite capable of putting on a suit and looking handsome, but women are expected to do a little more."

"Hermione does have a tendency to pull in the handsome men," Ginny sighed.

"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked.

"Jasper is drop-dead gorgeous, though I can blame that on him being a vampire. Krum, well, he was handsome, in his own way. And Draco is hot, and he was panting after you for months. And you apparently had Lupin, who is handsome for an older man with his... condition. And while I'll never say my brother is hot, Ron wasn't..." she trailed off at the sudden look of pain spreading across Hermione's face.

"What's wrong?" Chelsea asked, sounding concerned.

"Nothing," Hermione said quickly. "Make me up, woman. I have to look worthy of Aro's high standards."

They talked about little things for another half an hour while Chelsea finished getting Hermione ready. Ginny sighed as Hermione told her about her first kiss with Jasper on the top of the Eiffel Tower.

"Looking out over the city at night, all those lights..." Ginny sighed again. "How romantic."

"Did you do the full tour?" Chelsea asked.

"If by full tour you mean he climbed up the side, and I Apparated to the top," Hermione said with a smile as Chelsea started pulling the dress out of the garment bag.

"You know, breaking and entering makes things sound so much less romantic," Ginny groaned.

"Sorry," Hermione muttered, staring at the dress. It was the same crimson as her eyes, with black and silver embellishments across the bodice and encircling the hips. The waist was asymmetrical, and below the hips the skirt was covered in a delicate black floral pattern.

"That's really pretty," Ginny said, eying the dress.

"I thought it would bring out her eyes," Chelsea said, examining the fabric for any imperfections.

"Not quite the feature I want to be emphasizing," Hermione grumbled, but she allowed Chelsea to pull the dress over her head. After the zipper had been pulled up and put into place she turned towards the mirror. Turning so she couldn't see the mark on her arm she scrutinized her appearance, and as usual when Chelsea was styling her, she couldn't find anything wrong, so she nodded in approval.

"Good, we have something we need to do before we go tonight," Ginny said, waving her wand so the back of her dress laced and secured itself.

"What could you possibly have to do?" Chelsea frowned, looking worried that Hermione might wreck her look in the half hour before they had to leave.

"Just something," she replied, grabbing Hermione's hand. "We'll be back in time to do our grand entrance down the stairs."

Before Chelsea could protest they Apparated away, landing outside a wrought-iron gate in a secluded forest a few miles away from Hogwarts.

"Why did you bring me here?" she muttered, looking away from the rows of headstones surrounded by new growth, indicating the whole cemetery was relatively new. A small statue sat outside the gate, a Phoenix rising from the ashes, with a plaque that read 'For all those who gave their lives at the Battle of Hogwarts, June 1998. Never forgotten.'.

"You've never been before. You said you were too sick to go to the funeral. The very memory tried to make you kill yourself. You seem to have moved on, but I can tell in your eyes you haven't. Be fair to yourself, and to Jasper. Go," she ordered in a whisper.

Slowly Hermione turned, pushed open the gate, and walked through the rows. Her target was easy, it was the largest of the graves, raised slightly above the rest, covered in all sorts of flowers. She stepped up to it, pushing away a bouquet to reveal the name 'Ronald Bilius Weasley'.

"Hey, Ron," she muttered, staring down at the stone. "It's been... longer than it ever should have been. I'm so sorry I could never bring myself to say goodbye. Part of me just couldn't bring myself to say goodbye. If Harry could come back... why weren't the rest so lucky? Though, I guess in a way I cheated death, too. I just wanted to see you so bad that night. Jasper can be ten times as stubborn as you ever were at times, and he chose the moment he was biting me to stick to his decisions. I don't want to tell you that it was actually a good thing he changed me, but there's really no point in lying to you now, is there? I'm happy. But Ginny was right, I needed this. I needed to properly say goodbye to you before I could give my mate my heart fully. I love you, and I always will in some aspects, but..." she bit her lip, thinking of the right words, as if she were speaking to a living, breathing Ron rather than a grave. "I love Jasper. I can picture myself being with him for as long as I live, however long that may be. I won't forget you, Ron, not if I live thousands of years. But I know that you would want me to be happy, and Jasper makes me happy. And I know you're happy where you are, which is all I wanted for you. I promise I'll be around every so often, even if I outlast the stones." She stood for a few minutes in silence, just letting her emotions wash over her, breathing slowly. Finally she nodded once, placed a hand on the stone and whispered, "Goodbye, Ron."

She thought saying the words would cause her heart to break, but as she walked out of the cemetery she felt stronger, especially in her feelings for Jasper.

Ginny was looking at her expectantly as she walked back through the gate.

"I feel free," Hermione whispered.

Ginny smiled, grabbing her hand and taking them back to her room at the Burrow, where an anxious looking Chelsea was clutching Hermione's cloak.

"Thank God, you're back. The boys are downstairs. I told them five more minutes eight minutes ago," she fussed, throwing the cloak around Hermione's shoulders and securing it. "If you're going to make that grand entrance, Aro expects you to show off your position, to show you are worthy of making the announcement of our truce while looking like one who can make decisions and not just his messenger. He thinks it'll make the wizards more at-ease with your presence."

"So would neck shields," Hermione chuckled.

"Either way, you need to get moving. Enjoy yourself," she said, pushing the girls out the door.

Hermione followed Ginny down the steps, and she saw Jasper's eyes light up as he saw her descending.

"You look breathtaking," he muttered, stepping forward and offering his hand to help her down the last few steps, even though it was far from necessary.

"As do you. That suit looks familiar," she smiled, looking over his outfit.

"It's the same one George put me in on Halloween, with a few minor adjustments done by Madam Malkin. It's now in perfect repair, with some new buttons and the red trimming to match your dress. I was comfortable in it, and she was more than happy to do the quick repairs and get me out of her shop," he replied, eyes not leaving hers.

She flashed a smile, then bid goodbye to Harry and Ginny.

"Aren't we following them?" Jasper asked as Harry and Ginny Apparated away.

"We're going in a back route, to keep the announcement under wraps until the Minister has time to explain," she replied before Apparating them to the Leaky Cauldron. Before Tom got over the shock of two vampires appearing in his pub they were out the front door and climbing into the backseat of a heavily-tinted Ministry vehicle. The drive was short, about twenty-five minutes, before the car pulled up to the rear entrance of an abandoned-looking warehouse not far from St. Mungos. Once they got inside the protective charms they could see a large group of press taking pictures of those arriving by Apparation, but no one seemed to pay any mind to the car as it skirted the outside of the premises and pulled up to a covered walkway into the back entrance.

"Ms. Granger? Mr. Whitlock?" a young Ministry witch clutching a clipboard asked, wrenching open the door. She took a step back at the sight of their red eyes looking at her, and before she could recover they were out of the car, shutting the door behind them.

"Yes?" Hermione asked.

"Come this way," she motioned, but she walked in a funny, half-sideways gait to keep the vampires in sight at all times. "You will wait back here with the Muggle Prime Minister and his wife, and Kingsley is set to make his announcement in about ten minutes time. The Muggle Minister will be invited to say a few words first, then Mr. Shacklebolt will announce the truce with the Volturi, and you'll be able to say a few words. Your seats are on the Minister's immediate right, and after dinner you'll be expected to open the dancing part of the ball with Mr. Shacklebolt and the Muggle Minister. Okay?"

"Got it," she replied.

"Ten minutes," the witch repeated before running off. They were standing just to the left of the stage, the eloquently decorated head table visible through the curtains, two Muggles looking at the wizards gathering in the room and chatting nervously.

"I don't know, they still look like a right bunch of freaks," the woman hissed.

"Calm down, Martha," the man hissed back. "Mist... Minster Shacklebolt assured me that there would be no safety threats. That everyone here fought for the side of good and what not. We'll be perfectly safe."

"I can't imagine a creepier lot than this," she replied, sounding angry. "I bet they don't even eat human food. Can you ask someone if they have normal food?"

The man groaned and looked around for the witch, but caught sight of Hermione first. "Excuse me, Miss," he started, but he grew silent as he looked at her. At first he didn't even notice her face, his eyes ran up from her hips, but he gasped and jumped back as his eyes locked onto hers.

"What's wrong, Alex..." she let out a small scream when she looked at Jasper.

"Good evening," Hermione smiled warmly.

"G... g... good evening," the Muggle Minister stammered.

"To answer your question, yes, the food is the same as what you'd find in your world, for the most part, at least. But I assure you, there's nothing to worry about, everything will be delicious."

"Thank you," the woman exhaled, eyes still wide.

"Are you two wizards, as well, then?" the man asked.

"Just her," Jasper replied with a smile, kissing Hermione's hand.

"What are you here for?" he sounded afraid of the answer.

"You're here because the Minister is announcing that he wants to keep you in the loop more so you can coordinate on cover stories and such. He's invited the Volturi to announce a truce after many years of mistrust and animosity between our two groups."

"What two groups?" the woman asked as the Minister made his way onto the stage to a loud round of applause. Hermione waited to answer to hear the start of Kingsley's speech. When Kingsley paused to transition to introducing the Muggles Jasper felt fit to give her the answer.

"Wizards and vampires," he said with a smirk.

"Vampires!" she screeched, jumping back so far she nearly fell onto the stage.

"Don't worry, we've recently eaten," he beamed.

"... the Muggle Prime Minister," Kingsley announced, and the couple scurried onstage. She took her seat, making sure it was as far as possible from the two empty chairs without place settings, where the vampires would soon be sitting.

"I'm honored that Minister Shacklebolt has approached me to talk about a merger of the minds between our two offices and that we will be working more closely together in the future to discuss things that affect both of our worlds thank you," the Muggle Minister said in one breath before sliding into his chair.

"Thank you, Minister," Kingsley said, standing at the microphone again. "There are two more very special guests I have the honor of introducing. For thousands of years wizards and vampires have had a volatile relationship. We have made laws regarding their behavior, and there have been losses on both sides as a result. At the raid this past week, we worked with the Volturi, the rulers of the vampire world, and the representatives from this group were instrumental in our victory. And so, my next promise as Minister of Magic will be to mold the bonds between the wizarding world and the vampire world, to provide a truce that allows us both respect the rights of each other, and to work in harmony. And so, I'd like you to give a warm welcome to Mr. Whitlock and Ms. Granger of the Volturi."

"Granger?" the whisper echoed around the room, followed by shocked gasps as she appeared. She clutched onto Jasper's arm as he escorted her to the middle of the stage and took his place directly behind her.

"Good evening," she started, and she suddenly felt confident. "Thanks, Jazz," she whispered before continuing.

"Don't mention it," he replied.

"I would like to echo the Minister's sentiments, that the feud between wizards and vampires have gone on far too long. The Volturi have done their part of controlling rogue vampires for thousands of years, and we feel that an ongoing professional relationship between wizards and our group would be mutually beneficial as we could strive to work together rather than against each other to achieve the same goals. In Italy we have already achieved a mutual respect with their Ministry of Magic, but rarely are we called upon to assist. For the longest time there has been the attitude that we will each leave a mutual problem until one of us crack and do the work alone, and the whole time the problem continues. A symbiotic relationship will save time, energy, and lives. This will require transition, time to learn to trust, on both sides, but Minister Shacklebolt has taken a great first step, and Aro, Caius, Marcus, and I are grateful for the opportunity." She had written the short speech out the night before, and she ended with a nod of her head, and Jasper helped her step down from the podium.

Harry's table burst into applause, led by George Weasley, and the rest of the stunned crowd slowly joined in. Hermione wondered how many of her words they had actually caught, as she had gotten mostly confused and shocked stares as she had been giving them. More camera flashes followed them as Jasper led her to their chairs and held hers for her. He sat next to her, taking her hand under the table, and giving a glare worthy of Snape to some women nearby who were saying nasty things in hushed voices to each other.

Hermione and Jasper chatted politely with the Ministry witches and wizards around them for the first two courses, including a long conversation about what being part of the Volturi was like with Kingsley and his wife. When the entree courses arrived a waiter appeared and placed two goblets in front of Hermione and Jasper. Hermione looked up at Kingsley in surprise.

"We weren't sure on the etiquette here, so we thought it would be best to be safe and raid a blood bank. We got two pints each, hopefully that's enough," Kingsley replied.

"Thank you," Hermione murmured, not wanting to point out that the move was somewhat stupid. Should she be thirsty enough to desire more, drinking the small amount might send her into a frenzy. To be polite she sipped from the magically-warmed goblet, thanking Merlin that her unintentional meal of Avery was helping her keep her wits about her.

After dinner Kingsley and his wife, the Muggle Minister and his wife, and she and Jasper made their way to the dance floor. Jasper expertly maneuvered them around the dance floor, not minding that the press that was present were taking more pictures of them than the Minister of Magic. He even brazenly gave Hermione a kiss, something he wouldn't normally do at such a formal function, but the buzzards were circling, and he felt the need to put on a bit of a show for them.

After the first dance the floor was open to any couples that wanted to dance, but the ones that did wander to the floor stayed on side opposite Hermione and Jasper. She was starting to get uncomfortable enough to suggest leaving when George and Angelina appeared next to them.

"Alright, Casanova," George smirked at Jasper. "I may have inherited all the good looks and charm in the family, but dance lessons are a memory I have blocked for good reason. A quickie lesson on sweeping a woman off her feet? As a thank you for taking your scary ass shopping?"

Jasper smiled. "How about I lead your lady, and Hermione can teach you?"

George scowled. "Ang, are you at all attracted to red-eyed men?"

"No, but you may want to worry about that accent," Angelina giggled.

"You may lead her, but no talking," George agreed. "If I see your mouth open, I'll just warn you that I usually carry something flammable around with me."

"Just remember that it'll be my mate who's holding your hand, and she has a bit of a protective streak in her," Jasper replied, taking Angelina's waist and leading her away.

"Forgot to take that into account. Shall we?"

She placed his hand on her waist, then took his hand. "Watch my feet, and take the lead as soon as you feel comfortable."

"If I'm looking down it's going to be hard to watch your feet, love."

She slapped his arm, causing him to yelp in pain. "Do your best."

"Yes, Granger."

It took him ten minutes, but George finally felt confident enough to take Angelina back, and soon had her spinning around the floor like a pro.

"I think he may have been faking to get a chance to dance with you," Jasper smiled, appearing at her side.

"If I remember correctly he held his own at the Yule Ball," she chuckled.

"Should I, perhaps, take the chance to prove I am worthy of you to some of your friends?"

"I think it would be a good idea," she nodded. He stole another quick kiss, and she watched him move quickly through the crowd, coming to stop next to Molly Weasley and holding a hand out to her. _Smart man_, she thought. _Things will go a lot smoother if Molly likes him._

Her eyes swept the room, and she saw Draco approaching her. A wave of panic passed over her, and he turned to the nearest thing in black dress robes, and asked them to dance.

"Dance, Miss Granger?" Snape drawled, raising an eyebrow.

"Er, yes. Well, you can't be stuffy all the time," she shrugged. "Enjoy yourself a little, Professor."

"Would it be worth pointing out to you that I could enjoy myself without dancing with a former student?"

"Duly noted. Now come on," she said, grabbing his arm and pulling him onto the dance floor and away from a scowling Draco. Much to her surprise when they were well embedded in the crowd Snape took her waist and started leading her around the floor almost as well as Jasper did.

"Aren't we full of surprises, Severus?" she chuckled as he spun her.

"And aren't you quite good at avoidance?" he replied. "Which one is it this time? Lupin or Draco?"

Her face fell a little. "Draco. Though I'm not particularly fond of the idea of talking to either one of them tonight."

"I see," his eyebrow shot even further. How was that possible? Prat.

She sighed. "Draco isn't slowed down by the fact that I am a vampire. I don't want to talk to him, because he's going to say something like how handsome he'd be as a vampire, and I'm going to feel even more guilty for the pain I'm putting him through. I'd rather avoid until I go back to Volterra and hopefully seeing me with Jazz will give him the hint that he needs to move on. And Remus... well, we were pretty close after Ron and Tonks died, and I'm sure you know what happened, and now we're mortal enemies. I'm in for the arse-chewing of a lifetime when Caius finds out I didn't kill him or let Jasper do it. He's gone from trusting me implicitly to hating my very existence."

"As always, Miss Granger, you provide much more information than needed, and you've given it to more people than you've intended."

"What...?" she started, but she inhaled and the burning in her nose made her realize what he was talking about. She turned slowly to see a pained looking Lupin standing behind her, staring daggers at both her and Snape.

"Come with me, Miss Granger?" the werewolf asked, refusing to lock gazes with her.

"Excuse me," she said to Snape, letting him go and turning to follow Lupin through the crowd. She looked towards Jasper, who was looking murderous, asking if she wanted him to come with her with his eyes. She shook her head, then ducked out onto a small, quiet balcony after Lupin. There were three other couples out in the fresh air, two snogging, one whispering to each other about plans for a trip they were taking that summer- without their spouses. Hermione rolled her eyes as she leaned against the rail, staring at Lupin, who positioned himself right in front of her, blocking her from going back into the ball.

"You assume too much, Hermione," he whispered.

"Oh, I get my name back now, do I?" she hissed.

His eyes darted up to meet hers for a couple seconds, then they fell to the ground again. "I deserved that. I deserve a lot of the assumptions you've made about me."

"What other assumptions would you have me make? You ran out of the room when all I wanted to do was see if you were alright, you'll barely speak to me and when you do it's full of hate, you attempted to hex my mate..."

"What did you expect me to do?" he finally looked at her, intensity in his eyes. "You are a vampire. I am a werewolf. By all rights being this close is only supposed to happen in a death match between us. And if you need to kill me to appease your fellows, I won't raise a hand or wand to stop you."

"Remus..." she whispered. "Caius can go to hell. I'm not killing a friend for him. And considering the position I'm in now, he has no right to question my authority in the situation."

"Part of me wants to kill you," he admitted in a hoarse voice. "No," he corrected quickly. "I don't want to kill Hermione. I want to kill a vampire. Because even if you don't kill me, you'll go back to them and tell them about me, and they'll come to kill me and my son."

"I'll make sure that won't happen," she promised. "I know how conflicted you must be..."

"You have no idea my feelings on the situation, because you have no idea how much of this is my fault."

"How could any of this possibly be your fault?"

"Once _wasn't_ enough," he muttered, staring at her. "I pretended it was enough, and I did it well for a long time. But you were wrong. I was ready to move on from Tonks, and I wanted to do it with someone who would realize that it would take some time and effort to have a real relationship. I was going to ask you out properly after Halloween, I had been debating it for weeks, I didn't want to put you in the same position Tonks had been in, but I knew I would never be able to settle my mind without at least asking. But then I heard the Malfoy boy had beat me to the punch. And I was more than happy to step back and let things play out between you two. He is... was much better suited for you anyways. Young, handsome, intelligent, gifted with magic. Yes, he was a Death Eater, but if anyone could see past that and help him rebuild his image in the community, you would be the right witch. I had no doubt in my mind that while it might be a bit of a bumpy road for you in the beginning, you two had everything it took to make it work for the long run.

"And then, after Halloween, I didn't see anything of you or Draco. I assumed you were enjoying a bit of a honeymoon phase in your relationship, where you only wanted to see and spend time with each other. I thought you were well beyond a damaged old werewolf. It wasn't until New Years day, when Harry finally revealed that you had been killed... I broke that day, Hermione. Every woman I have feelings for seems to have a shortened lifespan. And I realized that I couldn't be close to another woman again. Knowing I would go through life without another love set me off. When Harry started speaking about going to hunt down the vampire who killed you I jumped on board. Not because I thought we could do it, but because I know Harry well enough to know he would do it with or without me, and I thought I could keep him alive, even if I knew I would never return from the trip. And I thought it would be best that way. Teddy would grow up with a normal, human person caring for him, and wouldn't have to suffer from my misery anymore. Draco talked Harry out of it, and I resigned myself to trying to take care of Teddy as best I could considering I should never be allowed to raise a child alone.

"And then you came back. And seeing you like _this_..." he spat, looking over her. "It was worse than thinking you were dead. At least if you were dead you wouldn't be out killing people, hanging out with a bunch of other bloodsuckers who have no respect for life. I know you don't want us to hate each other, but I'm torn. I feel like I have to. You continuing to live means people must die. How could anyone be okay with that? It's easy to sweep that part under the rug, because they're so relieved to have you back. But I'm not going to lie- I'd rather you had died. I can't forgive you what you've done. I know, you can't stop what you must do to survive, nor did I think you ever wanted to be a vampire in the first place, but you've chosen to flaunt it rather than be humbled by it. You are one of the Volturi now, and I don't mean just the guard. How much more of a bloodsucker could you be? I don't begrudge you the mate, I'd rather you take him than turn another person into a leech. But if you want to know what you could do for us, why don't you stop shoving yourself in our face? Bow out gracefully, go back to Italy, and don't come back." He shot her one more glare before turning and starting back towards the party.

"Remus..." she growled, running to block him from leaving. Before he could react she reached up and slapped him.

"That's for even thinking about making your son an orphan," she hissed. "How could you do that to him? To Andromeda? To _Tonks_? There are so many out there who would kill to have the love of a son, and you'd be willing to throw it away like that. What kind of person are you?

"I don't give a damn what you think of me now. You can't keep me from my friends. As long as I pose no risk to them..."

"You'll always pose a risk to them! That's your nature! You kill humans to survive. They are human. You know how prone to accidents Harry is. What happens if he gets his arm cut, and there's no one between the two of you..."

"I have control," she shot back.

"Are you so sure?" he replied, staring into her eyes.

She was quiet a moment. "I'll make sure to leave you alone from now on, Mr. Lupin. But you won't keep me from my friends." She spun on her heel and rushed back into the dance, to find a sour-looking Jasper waiting for her.

"Are you okay?" he murmured, taking her lovingly into his arms and shooting an angry look towards Lupin.

"Fine. Just distract me," she whispered.

He obliged by pulling her back on the dance floor.

"What were you thinking about so intensely the other day?" she asked, looking into his face.

A scowl passed over his features. "I feel the need to tell you the truth, but not the desire, which is why I didn't want to bring it up. I think we should leave Volterra."

She stopped dead in shock. "Why?"

"I realized everything that I had to loose by being there," he breathed, running his fingers over the mark on her arm.

"I can take care of myself. I wouldn't have been hit if I wasn't trying to protect Harry. And I didn't get hurt, at least no permanent pain or major disfigurement. Nothing will happen to me if we stay in Volterra."

"You don't know that. The missions..."

She laughed. "We go on missions against vampires, which, might I remind you, no other vampire has managed to get a hand on me."

He stared at her in response.

"Where would we go?"

"Anywhere you want. We could move back here, and you could be by your friends. We could go wandering with Peter and Charlotte if you want company. We'll even wander the world. Anything you want, as long as it keeps you out of danger."

She lifted her hand and raised it to his face. "Nothing will happen to me in Volterra. I promise. I won't do anything to put myself in danger, and I don't think that Aro really needs me to risk myself."

He looked pained. "I _can't_ lose you, Hermione," he whispered, sounding completely vulnerable.

"You won't," she promised. "But I need to be there. I don't know why, but I need to."

He sighed, but nodded.

"Granger! Jazz man!" George's voice called from their side.

"Jazz man?" Hermione chuckled.

"A minor annoyance," Jasper smiled, happy to see her excited to be interacting with her friends.

"This place is boring and stuffy," George smiled. "Want to sneak out the back and go do something fun?"

"What is fun?" she asked.

"Angelina, Harry, Ginny, Charlie, Lee, Katie, and I were all going to go out to a Muggle nightclub. Dressed like this," he wiggled his eyebrows.

"Exactly like this?" she said, eying his robes.

"Well, not quite. We'll transfigure them to look more like regular tuxes, but yeah, like this."

"I'm in," Jasper smiled, grabbing Hermione.

"That makes me in, too," she smiled. George started leading them towards the exit.

"Great. They already took the Walk of Shame, so they're getting ready and waiting. But they insisted on sending me in to get you."

"The Walk of Shame?" she asked, but realized what he meant when he opened the doors. The press had been pushed outside to keep from annoying the guests, but at her appearance sent them into a frenzy. Flashbulbs were blinding, questions were being thrown from every direction, and George had to push through the crowd, shouting, "Move, people! Do you really want to get in the way of two people who could kill you before your deadline is due?"

"'Mione!" Harry waved. He had already changed his robes into a simple black and white suit. Next to him Ginny had shortened her dress. "Ready to go?"

"One moment," she replied, and she pulled out her wand, shortened her dress to a mini, made the bottom tighter, and looked at Jasper, who shook his head to tell her his outfit was okay. One more flick of the wand, and she had brown eyes again, and Jasper had green. They Apparated to an alley in Muggle London, and George led them to a packed-looking club. As they approached he let Hermione and Jasper take the lead, and unsurprisingly the bouncer took one look at Hermione and waved the group in before the line. They found a large table, and sat. George flashed some money, and a waitress promptly appeared, took their drink orders, and hurried off to get them. Hermione ordered the same thing as Ginny, with every intention of switching cups as soon as Ginny ran low. They sat and talked for hours, occasionally strolling to the dance floor to dance in a way that wouldn't be approved at the Ministry function, and Hermione could see how the drink was affecting her friends.

Hermione had been flirting with Jasper all night, trying to make him feel better. She pressed herself to him as they danced, and when they sat next to each other she would rub his leg, moving her hand higher but never too high. But she felt her resolve faltering, and she was worried her friends wouldn't be able to make it home if she left to fulfill her desires. "Let me guess, I'm going to wind up to be the designated Apparater tonight?" Hermione smiled as she pretended to take a sip of her drink.

"I'll stay sober if you're going to get crabby about it," George grumbled. "Don't get your bloody knickers in a twist."

"Hard to get my knickers in a twist when I'm not wearing any," she replied, smiling sweetly.

George and Lee both started choking on their drinks. Harry's hand had paused halfway to his mouth.

George recovered first. "I don't believe you, goody-two-shoes Granger. I'm going to have to ask you to prove that fact."

"I am certainly not going to show you..." she started, but stopped dead at the feeling of Jasper's hand running lightly up her leg, under her dress, exploring her waist for a second but not getting too close before moving back down. She couldn't stop the groan of disappointment as his hand left her leg.

"I assure you, there's nothing there," Jasper said with a straight face.

"Did you just...?" Lee asked, eyes wide. Jasper winked in response. "Aw, man, you are a god. I'm not worthy of being in your presence."

"Feeling a little bold, are we?" Hermione hissed under her breath.

"I am surrounded by hundreds of people who are letting lust and arousal run themselves. I'm taking their feelings upon myself to keep from influencing them too much. Pardon me if that makes me feel a little bold," he smirked, answering in an equally low tone. "Want to dance?"

"Of course," she replied, allowing him to take her hand and lead her towards the throng of people rubbing up against each other. But rather than starting to dance he pulled her through the crowd, towards the back of the club. They came across a small, pitch-black hallway.

"What are we doing?" she asked.

"I have no intention of just dancing with you, especially not after what you just pulled at the table," he replied, reaching for the door of a storage room and breaking the lock with one quick twist of his wrist. He pulled her inside and slammed the door, pausing only long enough for her to re-lock it.

The room was also pitch-black, but it was no problem for them. She pushed him onto a broken bench that was sitting near where they were standing, and climbed on top of him, her lips crashing into his. He wrapped his arms around her, tangling them into her hair, holding her firmly to him as he allowed his feelings to radiate. The sudden feeling of arousal that washed over her caused her to moan into his mouth. She could feel him smile as her hips started moving in circles, pushing against his, feeling him growing beneath her. His lips slowly, almost torturously slowly, strayed from her mouth, moving down her chin, then up her jaw line. He sucked the skin behind her ear gently, then lightly bit her earlobe. She hissed, halfway between pleasure and pain, as she felt the sting of his venom on her skin, but it was gone as soon as he let go.

He kissed down her neck, across, then back up the other side of her jaw, occasionally sucking the skin. He repeated his attentions on the other side of her neck, then moved a little more quickly back down, pulling the straps of her dress down off her shoulders, giving a gently tug as the fabric protested going down any further, exposing her breasts. She responded by backing off him just enough to pull off his belt, unzip his pants and push them down just enough that she now had full access to him. He lifted her by her waist, then entered her as he pushed her back downwards. She groaned loudly, her hands tightening on the back of the booth, fingernails tearing the fabric.

She moved her body to the beat of the song playing in the main area of the club, a slower number. His eyes moved between her face and her breasts as she moved on top of him, biting her lip to keep from making another loud noise, adjusting her hips slightly every so often, searching for the perfect angle. He leaned forward, kissing her breast, moving in a circle getting closer and closer to the peak, then moving to the other one to repeat the action. He locked eyes with her before his tongue flicked across the peak, and she threw her head back, moaning his name.

The music sped up, and she adjusted her speed to match. She was now grinding into him furiously, driven by the feelings he was sending towards her, which he was drawing from the crowd on the other side of the wall. They were both losing control, and she knew it. She sped up, and his hands moved to her hips, pushing her onto him again and again, his fingers tightening every time he was all the way inside her.

She felt her muscles start to tighten, and she opened her mouth to tell Jasper, but she forgot how to speak. Her head fell back, her movements would have been erratic if he wasn't forcing her to keep going. A final moan escaped her lips as her lungs forced the air from her, and she finally released, the waves passing over her were so strong she hardly noticed his own, much softer moan and the tightening of his fingers on her waist as he spilled into her. She relaxed her body into his, lips instinctively finding his despite her eyes being closed, mouths working in harmony as they both came down from their high.

"We may have to come to the club more often," she whispered, and she could feel him chuckling below her.

"We should probably rejoin your group before any try to leave on their own," Jasper replied.

They got dressed quickly, and opened the door back into the club. To their surprise everything was black, and the music wasn't playing anymore. People were shouting to each other in anger and confusion. It seemed the power had suddenly gone out.

"I'm rather liking your accidental magic," Jasper smirked, grabbing her hand and using the darkness to move through the unmoving crowd at top speed. They slid into the booth next to George a fraction of a second before the lights and music came back on.

"Sweet Merlin!" George shouted, jumping as he noticed the vampires had just appeared next to him. "Not something I want to see the moment I get out of the dark, Granger."

"Sorry," Hermione smiled.

"Where the hell were you, anyways? Potter and Ginny went out to dance with you."

"Yeah, we couldn't find you," Harry nodded.

Hermione and Jasper exchanged mischievous glances. "I guess we were causing a blackout," she answered with a grin.

"You did that?" he asked.

"I told you weird things happen sometimes when I finish," she said, stirring the drink in front of her.

"You two were shagging?" George asked, eyes even wider than before. "You're right, Lee. The man's worthy of worship."


	30. Unexpected Visitors

**A/N: Two updates in two days. This one stops with what you all have been waiting for, and a chapter early to boot- an appearance from someone with the last name 'Cullen'. Hopefully the timeline I'm going to follow becomes a bit more clear after this.**

**So, part of this involves a child. I have read and re-read the books involving this, and I've come to the conclusion that Bella would have mentioned if there were children in the group, so I'm going to say that there's some obscure rule against bringing children into the main chamber. No matter what the movie portrayed. Just work with me on this one, okay?**

**If you'd like me to try to update like a mad woman again, leave me some love.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

Months, then years passed, and Hermione struggled to keep the balance between her friends and the Volturi. It seemed like the Volturi was winning, but it wasn't totally out of obligation. Every few months, when she returned to England to visit her friends, was a reminder that their lives were continuing on without her. First Bill and Fleur had their daughter. Then Harry and Ginny got engaged. Draco started seeing new women, moving through a couple before finally having a quickie wedding to Astoria Greengrass. Percy got married to a pregnant Penelope. Neville and Hannah Abbott started seeing each other, and were engaged. She stood up in Harry and Ginny's wedding. Bill and Fleur had another one. Even bloody Snape started seeing someone, a pretty woman named Natalia who could not only keep up with his biting remarks, but hold her own against them. Every few months she went to visit. And every few months she could see the differences in her friends. They were growing older. They were moving on. She was the same she was five years before, Jasper the only major difference in her life.

So the trips slowly started to grow further and further apart. She was starting to wonder whether or not Jasper was right- maybe they should leave together and start exploring the world. She had prepared herself for Aro launching a long argument on why they should stay after that first trip back to England, when Jasper was first doubting their decision to stay in Volterra, but with Aro's annoying confidence he called it 'water under the bridge' and moved on. Next subject. Vampires has left Volterra before, but never one who was so adored by the leaders, to the point where they were a leader themselves. They stayed for the long run.

Even Caius, though obviously irritated by her refusal to kill Lupin, had let his continued existence slide. She was more than ready to break a rule in front of them, if for no other reason than to see how far she could push her luck. The missions were growing fewer and farther between. News had spread of the vampire-witch that was the newest addition to the Volturi, and even those in the Southern Wars were becoming more careful to avoid detection. Those missions she did go on were starting to get repetitive and thus boring. A few times she stashed her wand just for something to do, to feel like she didn't waste a trip, and Jasper was pleased at her new hand-to-hand combat skills. Harry, on the other hand, was disappointed she was feeling bored and still refusing to leave. If she wasn't feeling like something was looming on the horizon she'd be out of there without a backwards glance.

In October of 2005 life in Volterra had become routine. The meals didn't even bother her anymore. She was well beyond remembering each victim, the looks of terror etched on their faces as they realized their lives were about to end. Each one blurred into the next. Every twelve days. Part of her wondered how stupid the Muggles must be, not noticing a large group disappeared from their country on such a routine basis, but Jasper reminded her that it was a sign of inhumanity to think humans were stupid, and she never said the words again. But it was difficult not to have the thoughts.

On the Ides they were standing around, discussing the superstitions behind the day, and where they came from when Heidi returned with the latest catch. Hermione scanned the crowd, inhaling deeply, seeing if there were any of preference when she saw something that caused her to stop in shock.

A woman, one of the last to enter, clutching a newborn baby to her chest, a look of nervousness and confusion written across her face.

"No!" she screamed, breaking away from Jasper and running across the room, not caring she was showing her speed to the assembled group of people. She grabbed the woman around the waist, lifting her and the screaming infant into her arms, pushing past Gianna, who was trying to close the doors.

"What's going on?" the woman repeated in Italian, terror in her eyes. "Where's Marco? What kind of devil are you?"

Hermione didn't say a word, opting not to take the front entrance. She carried the woman into the sewers, ran through them as fast as her legs would take her, the disgusting water splashing everywhere, the baby's shrieks nearly deafening as they echoed off the cold stone walls.

She came to the secret exit, hoisted the woman and child up, then jumped up after them. She lifted the woman roughly by the arm and dragged her down the alley, stopping as soon as they reached where the sunlight finally blocked her from moving any further.

"Please, my child. Kill me, but allow my baby to live," the woman said, near hysterics.

"I am not going to kill either one of you," Hermione replied in a low voice, her Italian now as good as those in the town around her. "Trust me, I was saving you and your baby. A couple seconds later, and I wouldn't have had the chance."

"Marco? Please, what happened to my husband?" the woman pleaded, tears streaming down her face.

"I am sorry. I could only grab you. He is gone."

The woman collapsed, and Hermione instinctively reached out to take the baby before it fell to the cobbled streets. She could feel eyes upon her, but not from the crowd in the well-lit street. She had to make the woman leave. Moving to block the view from the street she pulled her wand and pointed it at the woman, obliterating her memories.

"You did not need that lying, cheating good-for-nothing man," she said quickly, knowing if she took too long her efforts to save the woman would be for naught. "Go. Follow your dreams. Move far away from the memories, and never let him pass through your thoughts again. You are luckier than you will ever realize."

"Thank you, kind stranger," the woman said, picking herself up off the ground and wiping her face off. She took her baby gently and with one last nod disappeared into the crowd.

"Stepped in it deep this time, didn't you, Mistress?" Alec's voice drawled from behind her.

"I will never apologize for that," Hermione shot back.

"Aro wishes to speak to you," Demetri said, looking apologetic.

"I would be shocked if he didn't," she replied. She looked over her shoulder, hesitant to move.

"We were to kill her if you didn't change her memory. You did, so we'll have to call it no harm, no foul," he assured her.

She studied his face, and there was something in it that made her believe him. She followed them back down the alley, into the sewer, and all the way back into the main chamber. Everyone was still gathered, the bodies had been disposed of quicker than normal. Jasper was being restrained by Felix, Jane right behind him, looking smug.

"Hermione," Aro snapped, motioning her forward.

"Let Jasper go. He had nothing to do with this," she said, staying put.

"But he has every intention of attacking if he is allowed free," he pointed out.

"Jazz," she whispered, looking her mate in his eyes. "Don't do anything. This was all me."

"Anything they do to you, they have to do the same to me," he growled, struggling against Felix.

"Please. I can't think if Jane hurts you."

He stopped struggling, but his eyes were still fierce and ready to fight.

"What was that?" Caius demanded.

"That was me saving my soul," she shot back.

Aro studied her.

"All the time I've been here, a child has never been brought into this room. That infant was a few weeks at most."

"You're right," Aro said, raising his hand to stop her. "It is a rule we don't bring the young ones in here. Would you like to make a formal complaint against Heidi for doing so?"

Hermione's eyes shot to Heidi, who flinched and shifted uncomfortably. If Hermione did wish to lodge a complaint there was a chance she'd be killed.

"When I told her to come the child and her husband were not with her!" Heidi protested.

"As long as the woman and child are free and unharmed, I do not wish to lodge a complaint," Hermione said quickly.

"I promise you, they are fine," Aro said. "The question now is what to do with you."

"You risked exposure of our world," Caius spat. "You and those damn memory charms of yours. The more that we allow to live, even with the charms, the more likely the charm might break, and there will be one out there with complete knowledge of vampires. Or they will encounter a wizard who can break the charm and use the information against us. The child would have been an unfortunate killing, but not everything that must be done is going to be ideal!"

"My memory charms will not break," she hissed through clenched teeth. "I have spent four years here building up trust and rapport with the wizarding community. It is that very attitude that makes that job so difficult!"

"No need for this to turn nasty," Aro said in a calming voice. He does have valid concerns, Hermione, and I don't want you to dismiss those. Running out of here as you did alerted everyone in the room as to what we are, and it made things run a lot less smoothly. You have been good to us, Hermione, and I feel like you deserve a warning, but only one warning."

"I will do it again if another child is brought here. If you don't wish to risk it, kill me."

"If another child is brought here, the one who brought them will be dealt with quickly," he said, looking out over the crowd. "Now, please, Hermione. Let's move past this."

She studied his eyes, and there was something off about the smile on his face, but she realized her life was not going to end that day. She nodded, then said "Release my mate, please."

Aro nodded, and Jasper was by her side in a fraction of a second. The smug smile was gone from Jane's face. She was now looking incensed that Hermione had gotten away with something yet again.

"Let's go downstairs," Hermione muttered, grabbing Jasper and pulling him quickly from the room. She ran to her chambers, locked the door, and secured it with several protective spells.

"Do you think he was telling the truth?" Hermione asked, looking at Jasper.

"They were pretty mad after you left, they sent Jane to keep me around, as I tried to run after you. She was... more than happy to perform the duty."

Hermione growled, her hands balling into fists.

"The meal was quicker than any I had ever seen. I'm pretty sure I heard them snapping a few necks rather than drinking them. Demetri and Alec were out within half a minute, running after you. I knew they weren't going to kill you on sight, you are more than enough to take both of them on at the same time, but Caius was calling for your immediate disposal. Marcus was very much against you getting killed, but said that if you were going to let a woman walk away with knowledge of vampires that they may not have a choice. He was the one who said that you should be let off the hook if you wiped the woman's memory. I've never seen him, nor heard of him, arguing a side so passionately. Aro was quiet, contemplative. More quiet than I've seen him in a while. I hope he's sincere, but I'm not leaving you alone."

"I'll be okay, but perhaps..." she was cut off by a faint knock on the other side of the door. She crept to the door and inhaled. There was only one on the other side, and she was shocked by which one.

"Marcus," she said, opening the door and stepping back for him to come inside. "It's a pleasure to see you down here."

"I wished to speak to you," he said, looking at Jasper as if to add 'alone'.

"I am not leaving her," Jasper said flatly.

"Your past would suggest you wouldn't be trusting after what happened up there," Marcus said, sliding into a seat across from Hermione. "I wouldn't expect any less protectiveness over your mate. And you are smart to keep an eye on her. Even if she's considered an important part of our family, she is putting herself in harm's way by being so important. One cannot get to complacent about their mate's safety."

"I will never consider her totally safe. I know she has a target on her back, from more than one angle."

"I became too complacent in Didyme's safety, and I paid dearly for it. Had I been by her side, I would have taken care of the one who did it myself. As it is, I've never found them."

"I'm sorry," Hermione whispered. Jasper walked across the room and engrossed himself in a book to keep their conversation at least semi-private.

"Don't be. Young Jasper reminds me of her," he said, staring in her eyes. "At least, he does when he is feeling happy. He lights up the room, and we are all drawn to him in some way or another. We all like to feel happiness, even if it's someone else's doing. Didyme couldn't feel other's emotions, but she didn't need to. Everyone around her was always happy. Time passed so quickly in those days.

"When she was taken from me... There is a reason I am the way I am now. Don't give him up, young Hermione. Protect him as he protects you."

"I already do," she responded.

"I wanted to come down here to warn you. I have watched you getting more and more complacent over the past few years. You follow the routines. You go along with things because that's the way they have been for a while. I need to warn you not to. Don't lose that fire, Hermione. You are a strong woman, you are so independent you have Aro frightened. He knows you're not going to stay forever, which is why he wants us to keep information from you. He would much rather you be here, happy, and in his sights than across the world where he doesn't know what you are doing and what you are planning. He talked us into giving you your position to get the ties he couldn't force on you. He let you off for the werewolf and the girl today because he knows you could have gotten out of here with no chance of him catching you. And if he took his anger out on Jasper he risks you retaliating. He was restraining Jasper not because he planned on killing you, but because he was planning to let you go, and he didn't want him going off the deep end before he had a chance to announce it. But you two just proved to him you aren't really part of the family, more the good friends who are living with us."

He stood, making for the door. "Don't become part of the family, Hermione. If you do, you may never get out. And there's much more out there than this place."

"If there is, why do you stay?" she asked, looking confused.

"I lost my love. There's nothing left for me, so why should I bother leaving?"

"One more thing!" she stopped him. "What is it that Aro doesn't want me to know?"

Marcus chuckled, looking at her warmly. "He would know if I told him, wouldn't he?"

She nodded, standing in silent pondering as he left the room.

* * *

After the incident Hermione refused to dine with the rest of the group. She and Jasper would go out every couple of weeks, moving around the continent, returning a couple days later when they were sure the meal was over. And it worked well for several months. By March she actually liking her mini-trips out hunting. She was starting to take pride in her ability to choose and take down just the right people again. Her friends in England were happy at her new change in dining habits- the more she realized what life was like away from Italy, the more they saw potential in her moving back home permanently. Harry and Ginny had their first child, James Sirius, the year before, and were pregnant with their second. Draco and Astoria were pregnant. While she was afraid babies would keep her away, she was there and being as attentive as an aunt as she possibly could. But she kept her place in Volterra. She had given herself the deadline of the birth of Harry's second child. If whatever was coming didn't come by then she was going to pack up and leave Volterra. She kept the information from Jasper, she didn't want it leaked to Aro. She was sure he'd be happy to leave when the time came.

She, Chelsea, Afton, and Jasper were sitting in the main chamber, sitting on the floor around a board game, using the large room because friendly disputes in the game were often settled by mock fights. Afton was currently swearing at Hermione for a move she made, too animated to be truly upset, threatening to smash the throne that Felix had built for her.

"Go ahead and smash it, I never wanted the damn thing," Hermione said calmly.

The door opened, and Gianna walked cautiously in, a tall vampire following her. His bronze hair lit up as the light caught it right, but it was his eyes that had Hermione doing a double-take. She inhaled again, no this man was certainly a vampire. How in the hell were his eyes that strange golden color?

"Can I help you?" Chelsea asked, standing up as Gianna scurried from the room.

"I wish to speak to Aro, Marcus, and Caius," he said shortly.

"They're all downstairs, but Hermione here has the same power they do, don't you, Mistress?"

"I will hex you into next week if you call me that again," Hermione chuckled warningly, standing up and walking up to the newcomer. "I apologize for her. What can I do for you, Mister..."

His eyes locked onto hers, and she got the uncomfortable feeling he was reading her thoughts, so she closed her mind using Occlumency. He looked surprised for a second, then even more saddened than when he walked in.

"My name is Edward Cullen," he said quietly. "And I want to die."


	31. The Mysterious Golden Eyes

**A/N: PLEASE READ! I really don't want to get flames or someone chewing me out for what goes on in this chapter.**

**Because this is suddenly so tied in with New Moon I have used several of Stephanie Meyer's quotes from that book. I changed a few things, you won't be reading a word-for-word re-write of the whole Volterra incident, but if some of the quotes look familiar, it's because they are supplied by SM in her book, and I am borrowing them so I can stay in the context of the Twilight series. It wouldn't make sense for things to go down completely differently, would it? At least, it wouldn't work for the story I have mapped out if everything went down completely differently. And yes, I know Edward's a drama king, but he's kind of melodramatic in the books, so I feel justified in writing him as I did. **

**Now seems like a good time to state again that Stephanie Meyer owns everything Twilight, JK Rowling owns everything Harry Potter, and I own a broken coffee maker, not the characters, situations, or the quotes that are familiar. Please don't give me a bunch of reviews saying that I ripped off quotes from the book. I know they're the same! Oh, and I took two lines from the New Moon movie as well, which is property of Summit Entertainment and it's affiliates.**

**Thanks to everyone who left the wonderful reviews. I could tell so many of you were itching to finally see the Cullens, and I'm glad you're excited they're now in the picture. Next chapter I promise you'll find out who won the poll for Alice's mate. Enjoy, and please review.**

* * *

There was a moment's silence as Hermione and Edward stared at each other.

Behind her it was Afton who made the first move. He snorted and muttered, "Dramatic much?"

Chelsea chuckled. Beside her Jasper scowled. Hermione could tell that Edward's feelings were concerning him.

But Hermione didn't find anything funny about Edward's eyes. There was a pain and sadness in them that was all too familiar, she had seen the same look so many times after Ron's death in her own eyes when she looked in the mirror.

"Chelsea," Hermione said finally. "Could you go and get Aro, Caius, and Marcus, please?"

Chelsea immediately stopped chuckling at the seriousness in her friend's tone. Things had suddenly gone business. She and Afton disappeared through the door in the back.

"Come in, Mr. Cullen," she said, reaching out for him. He allowed her to lead him towards the middle of the room, leaving him in front of the thrones as Aro, Marcus, and Caius appeared. She walked to her throne, which was in reach of Aro's, and sat with Marcus and Caius.

"Welcome to Volterra, Mr. Cullen," Aro smiled warmly. "Though if what you say is true perhaps welcome is not the right sentiment right now."

"I wouldn't lie," Edward muttered, reaching his hand out.

Aro took the offered hand and concentrated for a moment. Emotions flashed over his face, a scowl setting in as their hands parted. The scowl stayed as he took his seat next to Hermione, who reached over and touched his hand to show him her thoughts about the situation.

"Thank you, Hermione," Aro smiled at her before turning back to Edward. "That is something to mourn, the loss of one you love so much. But don't you think this is a drastic step?"

"Perhaps you can enlighten the rest of us?" Hermione cut in.

"Young Edward and his family, including Carlisle, if you remember him, were living in a small town when a girl moved there. And in her Edward found his mate, and his singer to boot, but she was a human, and he was unwilling to change that fact," Aro explained. "So he felt the need to leave her, to keep he safe. She did not take it well, and has recently passed on. Edward found this out through his sister, and he has confirmed it through a friend of her family. He hasn't told Carlisle or any of the rest of his family that he is coming here, as he feels they would try to talk him out of it."

Hermione's eyes flicked towards Jasper, who wasn't looking at her, then back at Edward, who looked like standing was somewhat of an effort.

"It is for the best she passed," Caius said. "No one faults you for finding your mate in a human, it's far from unheard of."

Hermione could feel his eyes on the back of her head.

"But to refuse to turn her is inexcusable," he continued. "Had she not died and we found out we would have had to take care of her ourselves."

Edward was growling.

"Caius!" Hermione snapped. "Now is not the time for that!"

"What is it you want from us, Edward?" Aro asked before they could start arguing.

"Just what I told Hermione. I want to die. I want you to kill me," Edward replied.

"Would you, perhaps, be open to a different path? You do have such a gift, and it would be such a waste to see it gone."

"What gift?" Hermione asked.

"Edward can read the thoughts of those around him. Though, I am curious, Mr. Cullen. Have you been able to read Hermione's thoughts?"

"I could when I walked in here," Edward nodded once. "But shortly after her mind went blank."

"I knew someone was prying in my thoughts. I closed them off," Hermione said.

"Don't be upset over it," Aro chuckled. "She blocks everyone, though she can turn it off in certain cases. Now, would you consider joining our family, Edward?"

"No," he shook his head. "I see no reason to keep going in this world, I have no desire to live to see another sunset. If you don't chose to kill me, I'll just force you to do so."

Aro's smile faltered. "We will excuse ourselves to deliberate."

He stood, and Hermione, Caius, and Marcus followed to a back room, and Hermione warded the room against Edward's intrusions.

"He would be a valued member of our family, with a gift such as his," Aro started, making sure his opinion was clear from the start.

"But we won't be able to force him to live if he doesn't want to," Marcus pointed out. "Perhaps it would be best if we just give him what he wants."

"Before he forces our hand," Caius added.

Aro, sensing the argument wasn't going to be as easily won was he had thought, turned to Hermione.

"What do you think, Dearest One?" he asked her.

Hermione was lost in thought. How could she deny Edward what he wanted, when she herself asked for the same thing? But now things were much better, and she was happy she didn't die. "I would like to talk to him," she replied.

"How unexpected," Caius sneered.

"Of course she must do what she must to feel comfortable. This is a very important decision," Aro replied.

Hermione walked out of the room, and motioned for Edward to follow her. Jasper moved to come with, but she shook her head to tell him to stay. She led Edward down to her chambers, motioning for him to sit in a chair opposite hers.

"What was her name?" she asked.

"Bella," Edward replied.

"When did she pass?"

"Three days ago," he replied.

"Can I tell you a story?"

He looked up at her. "Please."

She got up, crossed the room, and pulled down a photo album. She sat across from him, opening the album to a certain page, then sliding it across the table between him. He picked it up and studied the moving picture. She and Ron, dancing together at Bill and Fleur's wedding, laughing and hugging without a care in the world.

"That is Ron," she whispered.

"You look so happy," he replied, smiling sadly.

"We were, at that moment in time. Later that night we were running for our lives. Dark Wizards attacked that wedding, and we had to leave and go into hiding. Ron and I went with our friend Harry to hunt and destroy Horcruxes, pieces of an Evil Wizard's soul hidden in objects, and then fight the Dark Wizards. We couldn't be together during the Horcrux Hunt, we had other things to focus on, and he even left for a while. We were finally true to our feelings right before that final battle.

"He was killed that night. And I had a really tough time getting over it. I tried going out with someone else, but I couldn't get past Ron's memory. So I asked Jasper to kill me. He, obviously, refused, at least in a sense. But I'm glad he did. I really love him, and things have worked out.

"It's only been three days. And I know it hurts, and it feels like that hurt is never going to go away. Would, perhaps, a little time help?"

"Do you consider Jasper your mate?" he asked.

"Yes. It took me time to come to that realization, but I have considered him my mate for several years now."

"What would you want if he died?"

She bit her lip. "I know I would want exactly what you want at first. But I would try to move on. Perhaps it's different because I lost Ron. But I would at least try to give my heart some time to heal. If I was turning into Marcus, with no desire to move on or do much of anything, then I might reconsider, but I feel like I would owe it to Jasper to keep going."

He looked into her eyes. "I don't want to go on. I don't think I can."

She sighed. "When Jasper was hunting me he gave me a choice. He gave me the option of five years without worrying, five years where he would learn to try to stop drinking, because my blood sang to him like Bella's sang to you. I'm not asking for five. I'm asking for one. One year to go back to your family, to see what you have to live for. If you still want then what you're asking for now, I'll come over and do it myself."

"I appreciate the offer, but I came here to die, and I don't plan on leaving. Why wait a year if I can force your fellows to do it now? My feelings are not going to change in a year."

She considered him for a moment. "I am going to go in there, and vote to spare your life. It is not a slight against you or your feelings, but rather a desperate hope that you'll reconsider. I really don't want to destroy you, I'm adverse to taking a life unless I really have to. And if I could probably talk to my brethren about forgiving you a sin done in desperation, but I know that would probably make you more desperate. If you force our hand, I will make sure that I carry out your sentence as quickly and painlessly as possible."

"Thank you," he nodded.

They started walking back to the main chamber when Hermione asked the question that had been stumping her since Edward had arrived.

"How are your eyes that color?"

"My family and I don't kill humans. We survive only on animal blood," he replied.

She stopped dead, shocked. "That's possible?" she managed.

"It's not easy, but yes. It's possible. They should know that here. My father, Carlisle, lived here for a while a long time ago."

Some things suddenly made sense to her. Aro must have known that if she knew about this all-animal diet she would have left to pursue it as soon as she knew. This must be the information he had been guarding from her. She acted as casual as possible as they made it back to the main chamber, and decided it wasn't the time to confront Aro as she rejoined the group.

"I did my best to try to convince him to reconsider, and I want to give him every possible second to not force him to do what he's planning on doing. And so my vote will be to tell him no. If he does force our hand, however, I will not stop any attempts to punish him for it, in fact, I'm volunteering my services," she said.

"That seems like a good compromise," Aro nodded. "Are we agreed, brothers?"

"You best do it quick, and without any notice from the humans," Caius said, staring at Hermione.

"Of course I will," she nodded.

They walked back into the chamber, and took their seats.

"We have made our decision," Aro announced. "And we will make one more plea with it. Your gift is too much to throw away. Please consider joining us."

"You know what will happen anyway," Edward grumbled. He locked eyes with Hermione for a couple seconds, nodded, then turned to walk away.

"Such a waste," Aro muttered as Edward closed the doors behind him. "Felix? Demetri? If he does as he plans, bring him back here."

"Yes, Master," they replied in unison, leaving after Edward.

"He won't make it back here," Hermione muttered. She grabbed her cloak, turning it red to better blend in with the crowd outside, and rushed after them. She made sure to stay far enough away from Demetri and Felix for them to not become suspicious of her following them. Edward wandered the city erratically, seeming to make a decision about what he was going to do, then changing his mind and quickly changing directions. He made sure to stay in the shadows, and she knew he was going to go for something more dramatic. And then she saw Demetri and Felix stop, waiting at the edge of an Alley that lead to the city's clock tower. She climbed up a fire escape, creeping along the tops of the buildings, until she could look down below. Edward was standing just below the clock tower, checking his watch and unbuttoning his shirt. She looked at her own watch, it was five minutes to noon. Of course he was going to have to go for the dramatic. She pulled out her wand, and aimed it at the spot of sunlight she was sure Edward was preparing to walk into. And she waited.

Five minutes later the clock began to chime. Edward pulled his shirt off, standing, facing the crowded square, palms to the sky in preparation to step into the sun.

"Please, don't do it," she whispered, but Edward stepped forward, his foot hitting the spot of sun.

"Avada..." she started, but then something caught her eye. A dark-haired girl, pushing through the crowd, headed right towards Edward. Just as Edward was about to hit the sun she slammed into him, and his hands automatically wrapped around her.

"Bella?" she wondered out loud as the girl struggled to get Edward to move away from the sun. The girl said something, and Edward suddenly seemed to realize that he hadn't been killed. He moved into the Alley, taking a protective stance in front of Bella, who was against the wall, as Felix and Demetri approached.

She hurried back across the rooftops, dashing down the fire escape, and turning into the Alley to see Edward had been joined by another vampire, short and pixie-like.

"Hermione!" Edward said, seeing her standing there. Felix and Demetri suddenly looked victorious.

"Perhaps it's best for all of us to return to the chamber?" she said.

"I think it would be best for Bella to stay here," he shot back.

She stepped past Felix and Demetri, close to Edward and the girl vampire. "I can't be in both places at once," she breathed, too low for Felix and Demetri to hear. "And I'll be required in the chamber."

The implication was clear. She could protect him in the chamber, or Bella on the street, but not both, and since Aro would want her back Bella would be exposed if someone decided to go after her.

"Come on, Bella," Edward said, following Hermione down the Alley. She jumped back into the grate, and waited for the rest of the group. She tried to move quickly through the sewers, knowing it would be cold for Bella, but Edward didn't think to pick her up and carry her along. He seemed to be trying to take as long as possible to get where they were going. Not a good idea. Heidi was out fishing, and it would be best for Bella to be well away from the chamber. She and Jasper were going to go hunting before Edward had shown up, and she was getting thirsty herself, and the girl smelled good.

They made it past a smiling Gianna and into the main chamber, where the group was already assembled.

"Hermione! You seem to have brought him back alive! How wonderful," Aro smiled, holding his hand out to hers, and she allowed him to see her memories. He pulled her in for a quick kiss, then she turned and stood looking down at Edward, a scared looking Bella, and the girl vampire, who looked confident.

"And Alice and Bella, too," he continued. "This _is_ a happy surprise! Wonderful!"

Whether or not it was because of her thirst, or because she had spent more than half a decade putting up with Aro's over-enthusiasm, Hermione couldn't bring herself to focus on what was going on in front of her. Aro and Edward were chatting back and forth, Edward becoming more and more tense, Aro smiling ever wider.

In her mind she was miles away, far away from the group around her. She wanted to be where Edward and Alice came from, where vampires survived on animal blood, could live with humans with minimal worry, and didn't have to stare at the same stone walls day in and day out. How much easier would life around Harry be if she didn't kill humans? Would she be allowed to hold the babies without someone stroking their wand in anticipation? Could she get a job in the Wizarding world without her co-workers scurrying to stay away from her?

"Hermione?" Aro's voice brought her back to the room. She looked around, and was shocked at what she saw. Jane had the same look on her face as she had whenever Hermione proved immune to her power yet again. Edward had his arms around Bella, who was looking confused.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Bella just kept me out of her thoughts, and proved herself immune to Jane's gift," he informed her, as if he knew her mind had been elsewhere. "I was wondering if she was immune to _yours_ as well."

"I'm not using the Cruciatus curse on the poor girl," she balked.

"No one is asking you to. Whatever you wish would be sufficient."

She stepped forward, opening her mind enough to tell Edward she wasn't going to hurt Bella in any way. She stood ten feet from the frightened looking girl, trying to look reassuring. She stared into the eyes staring at hers and thought '_Legilimens_'.

_What exactly is her gift?_ Bella's voice sounded in her head. _What's she doing?_

Hermione poked through her memories a little, but jumped out when she saw several giant wolves that reminded her too much of Lupin. Instead she pulled her wand out, looked at Edward, and with a wave muttered "_Imperio_".

Immediately Bella went up into an elegant ballet, leaping and twirling around the room before settling back next to Edward with a curtsy. By the looks on Edward's and Alice's faces it was clear the graceful dance was far from normal behavior for Bella.

"Wonderful!" Aro clapped. "You see why we _adore_ her so around here, don't you?"

"Yes, I do," Edward nodded.

"So, what do we do with you?" Aro mused. He asked each of them if they would like to join, and each turned him down as politely as they could muster.

"That's unfortunate," Aro sighed. "Such a waste."

"Join or die, is that it?" Edward hissed, wrapping himself protectively around Bella. "I suspected as much when we were brought to _this_ room. So much for your laws."

"Of course not," he replied. "We were already convened here, Edward, awaiting Heidi's return. Not for you."

"Aro," Caius cut in. "The law claims them."

"How?" Hermione nearly shouted.

"She knows too much," he said, pointing at Bella. "They have exposed our secrets."

"We've told Gianna, and the drivers and pilots. As long as they're careful..."

"You know what we have planned for them when they're done being useful," he sneered. "He has no such plans for her. If she betrays our secrets, he will not destroy her."

"I wouldn't..." Bella cut in.

"Nor does he intend to make her one of us. Therefore she is a vulnerability."

"But there is no law against Edward and Alice," Hermione pointed out.

"True, and they may leave if they wish."

Edward growled.

"That's what I thought," he finished. He looked at Felix, who took a step forward.

"What if he intends to turn her?" Hermione said, nearly in a panic.

Aro smiled. "If he intends to turn her, they would all be free to go home and give my regards to my friend Carlisle. But," he added, turning to Edward, "I'm afraid you would have to mean it." He stepped forward with his hand raised, challenging Edward to tell him the truth.

"Mean it, please," Bella whispered.

Alice moved then, stepping forward and offering her hand to Aro, who took it looking excited. Several moments passed before they finally broke away, Aro laughing.

"That was _fascinating_!" he said excitedly.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," Alice replied.

"To see the things you have seen- especially the ones who haven't happened yet!"

"But that will," she reminded him.

"Of course. Well, it seems like they are all free to go."

Caius opened his mouth to protest, but Hermione had dashed forward.

"Perhaps it would be best for me to escort them out. Heidi is due any second, and I don't think any of us want to be caught in here when she arrives," she said, motioning for Jasper.

"Of course, Dearest One," Aro nodded. "I hope you have the chance to visit again!" he finished with a smile at the Cullens and Bella.

"And warn them about second chances when you've escorted them out. You know the rules," Caius snapped at Hermione.

"I know. I'll send them on their way after dark," she said, motioning for the group to follow her towards the entrance hall. "I'll even get a shirt on him!" she shouted over her shoulder. "_Hurry_," she hissed.

"Not fast enough," Alice muttered.

She moved them as fast as she could down the hall, but before they could make it to the doors they swung open, and she pressed the group against the wall as Heidi lead a group of humans into the chamber. Bella was staring at them in shock and terror, and the moment they could move the group hurried towards Gianna's desk. Hermione's hand was opening the ornate door when the screams started, and Bella went white and limp.


	32. A Choice to be Made

**A/N: I just finished reading 'The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner' and I have to say I just got some new ideas for this story. I was too excited not to sit down and write a chapter.**

**Anything familiar is property of either JKR or SM. Including a few direct quotes, though not to the extent of the last chapter.**

**Alice's mate is revealed in this chapter. He was the poll winner, though by a very narrow margin. Hopefully where I'm going with this will start to become very clear after this chapter. Thanks to everyone who reviewed so far. You guys are awesome!**

Edward and Alice helped a hysterical Bella to a chair and sat protectively on either side of her. Hermione crouched across from them, watching Bella with concern in her eyes.

"Something to calm her?" she pleaded towards Edward. "I could go get a calming draught, or perhaps my mate..." she looked towards Jasper, who was standing across the room, studying the group.

"I'd prefer him," Edward murmured.

"Jasper, please come here," she looked up at Jasper, who sighed and walked across the room. Bella let off a gasp and pressed herself as far into the chair as she could go before Jasper started manipulating her emotions and she calmed down.

"Better?" Jasper asked, looking at Bella, who refused to look away from him as if she expected him to pounce at any moment.

She nodded once, clutching onto Edward so tightly Hermione doubted she would ever let go.

"I apologize," Hermione said slowly, looking towards Bella as calmly as she could. "I tried to get us out of there as quickly as possible. I probably should have just had Edward pick you up and ran. It's not like they could have left even if they figured it out."

Bella blanched. Hermione realized her cold attitude towards the humans were the wrong thing to let show at the moment.

"Again, I'm sorry," she whispered. "Those words were inappropriate."

Bella studied her eyes for a second, as long as she dared. "Why didn't you go back in there? You look thirsty."

Edward cradled her face, and she involuntarily looked up at him. "Hermione and Jasper don't eat with the rest of the group."

"Why?"

Edward looked up at them, not knowing the answer.

"There was something offensive that happened a few months back, and we have refused dining in their company ever since," Hermione answered.

"What happened?" Bella asked in a whisper.

Jasper grunted. He didn't like how intrusive the human was being.

"It's okay, Jazz," Hermione reached out to touch him, knowing the contact would immediately calm him down. "An infant was brought into the chamber. There's a rule against children being brought in, and I couldn't let that baby get killed. I grabbed the mother and child and ran them to safety. I expected to be killed for it, but Aro said I was in the right."

"So, where do you hunt?" she asked.

"Wherever we decide to go to. We've traveled all over Europe."

"If you are so against killing children, why do you kill humans at all? Why not feed on animals?"

Hermione looked up at Edward, studying the strange golden eyes. "I never knew it was an option. It may be something I'll have to explore in the future."

There was silence as the two sides stared at each other, waiting for the other to make the first move.

"You live in the States?" Hermione asked to break the silence.

"Yes," Alice nodded. "With our family."

"How big is your family?"

"There's seven of us. Edward, Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, Emmett, myself, and my husband Amir. At least, there's seven vampires. Bella is part of our family, too, after all."

"And I'd really like to see my human family again," Bella breathed.

"I'm going to have to ask you to stay here until dark. Are you calm enough for Jasper to fetch a spare shirt for Edward?" Hermione asked quietly.

Bella nodded, and Jasper disappeared. Hermione went to stand by Gianna, but she was unwilling to leave the group alone. Edward, Bella, and Alice tried to keep their conversation low, but because Bella couldn't hear as well Hermione could overhear everything.

"Is it really sick for me to be happy right now?" Bella said as tears started to fall again.

Edward pulled her more tightly to him, muttering comfortingly in her ear. "It's okay. We're here. We're together. And we're alive. For now."

"The outlook looks good," Alice said brightly. "I'll see Amir in less than twenty-four hours."

Hermione smiled at the thought that the group was going to be safe until they went home, but she still felt protective enough to stay nearby. Jasper re-appeared holding a spare shirt, and they walked back towards the group. Edward took the shirt with a quick 'thank you' and threw it on. Hermione was proud of Jasper, he had picked a thicker sweater that would help insulate Bella.

"Don't forget to change your cloak back," Jasper muttered as they took seats nearby.

"Thanks," Hermione muttered, pulling the red fabric from her shoulders and tapping it with her wand, changing it back to black. Bella gasped.

"What is that?" she said, looking at the wand in wide-eyed fascination.

"My wand," Hermione replied, holding it towards her to give her a better look. "I'm a witch."

"Witches exist?" she asked in shock.

"Witches and wizards. We have a whole underground community," she smiled.

"How many?"

"Many more than there are vampires," Edward replied. "Probably around fifty times the number, maybe more."

"And are any of them vampires, like you?"

"No," he replied shortly. "Hermione is the only vampire with magic."

"They must really like you here," she said, finally looking from the wand back at Hermione's face.

"She has the same power as Aro, Marcus, and Caius," Edward whispered. "Their new fourth."

"So... you helped decide that Edward should live? You bought us time to get here?"

"I didn't know you were coming," Hermione replied softly.

"But you did cast the vote that saved my life," Edward reminded her.

"And I was going to be the one who carried out the punishment if you did what you planned. Damn near did it, too. If I hadn't noticed Bella..."

"But you did," Alice chirped. "And you stopped, and got us all out of there alive. I wasn't sure we would be able to, especially if she stayed long enough for the group to come in," she nodded towards Bella.

"I would have protected her," she nodded firmly.

"I'm just glad we didn't need protection. Now, what was all that talk about singers?"

"La tua cantante," Edward muttered.

"Yes, that."

"They have a name for someone who smells the way Bella does to me. They call her my singer- because her blood sings for me."

Alice laughed, and even Bella's mouth upturned slightly.

"I'm surprised I haven't heard of that before," Alice said.

"They're rare," Edward replied. "And it's very rare that one survive longer than a few moments after the vampire smells them. In fact I've only heard of two singers surviving once they have been noticed."

"Me," Bella said, mouth open slightly and Edward nodded. "And one other?"

"Yes," Hermione whispered. "Me."

"Your blood sang to a vampire?" she asked in surprise.

"Yes. My blood sang to Jasper," she said, looking over at the empath, whose hand sought hers out to give her a quick squeeze.

"Edward didn't kill me because he thought it would upset Carlisle and Esme. Why didn't Jasper kill you?"

"It wasn't for lack of trying," Jasper chuckled. "I held off at first because I thought I might get in trouble if I killed an entire club full of people. I waited to get her alone, and she refused to go down easily. Used her magic to keep one step ahead of me. By the time she allowed me close enough I had gotten so used to being near her scent and not being satisfied that I was able to stop drinking."

"You were able to stop even though she was your singer?" she asked, unable to stop the look of excitement crossing over her face.

"She's also my mate, and I think I was starting to realize that at the time."

"But you wouldn't have left her human," she stated.

"I drink human blood. One little nick, just a single drop of that sweet nectar and there would be no stopping me. And she was quite the sought-after woman when alive. She wouldn't have settled for a vampire. She probably would have been Mrs. Malfoy by now."

Hermione scowled. "It's dark. Perhaps it's best for you to leave now."

Edward and Alice stood in unison and helped Bella to her feet.

"One last warning," she said quickly. "Caius would like me to remind you that we don't give second chances. If you're going to change Bella, you best do it sooner rather than later. There's a good chance someone will be around to check to make sure she's lacking a pulse."

"Of course," Alice smiled.

"Thank you," Edward muttered, looking into her eyes for a second before leading Bella towards the exit.

Alice gave them a knowing smile before fluttering after Edward and Bella.

"Your chamber?" Jasper asked as soon as the elevator doors closed on the group.

"No," she snarled, turning heel and running back into the main chamber.

"Hermione," Aro smiled as he saw her approaching.

"This is what you've been keeping from me from the first day I've been here, isn't it?" she growled standing in the dead center of the room, eyes alight with rage.

Aro frowned, taking a moment to think so he said the right thing. "Yes, it is. But there are reasons that I kept the information from you."

"They damn well better be good!" she shouted, and several of the torches around the room blew out. "I killed so many people because I never knew there was an alternative. And you knew that I wanted nothing more than to reduce the number of people I had to kill to survive. You threatened everyone to keep the information from me!"

"This is not a good place for someone who isn't used to that lifestyle to try to convert to it. I kept the information from you because I wanted you to be able to thrive. You were young, you weren't sure of how to control you life when you came here. I wanted to give you every opportunity to become great, and great you have become. You couldn't have done some of the things you have done if you had been distracted by denying yourself the satisfaction of drinking human blood. Animal blood keeps you alive, but it's not the same as drinking human blood. Carlisle told me that."

"They seem to be doing alright," she snapped.

He paused in thought again. "I was wrong to keep the information from you, Hermione. You are old enough and controlled enough that animal blood might be nothing more than an inconvenience for you. If you wish to pursue that lifestyle, I will encourage you completely. I only ask that you remain aligned with us. If news got out that you have left us, those who are frightened into submission by the knowledge of you will start doing what they have been careful not to do. I don't wish for you leaving to throw our world into chaos."

Hermione bit her lip, remembering Marcus' warning, but realized that there might be nothing but trouble at a time where she might not be performing at her peak if she left now. There was little doubt that the transition to animal-drinker would not be an easy one, and that last thing she needed was more enemies when she wasn't thinking as quickly as they were.

"Of course I'll stay allied with you," she said finally. "You have given me a home and so much more. I am not uninterested in the work, but if there is an alternative to me killing humans, I will explore it."

"Ugh," Felix flinched. "How could you even think that sounds appetizing? Have you smelled animals? Yuck."

"Always with the subtlety," she rolled her eyes.

"Carlisle was able to stay with us for a while and keep his hunting patterns," Aro interrupted. "Would you, perhaps, be willing to try the same?"

"I'm not sure," Hermione muttered. "It may be best for me to be around those who know what they're doing. I'll at least have to leave for a little while, to be in an environment away from people and temptation."

"That is very much understood," he said, looking concerned.

"I'll keep my phone on me at all times," she added quickly. "And I'll make sure Menace is nearby in case you need to send me letters. He likes Chelsea, perhaps she can watch him while I'm gone."

"No problems there," Chelsea smiled encouragingly. "I'll make sure that little annoyance gets fed and interacted with on occasion."

"Then everything seems to be in order," Aro smiled, beckoning her forward. "And please forgive me for keeping the information from you."

"I can understand why you did," Hermione said, not meaning a word, but excited that it looked like she was going to get away from Volterra without problems. She let Aro kiss her, and she made sure to keep eye contact. "I will be back as quickly as possible," she promised, though she wasn't sure how true the words were. Would she come back, when she was no longer feeding on humans, or was this the last time she saw the stone walls of Volterra? Could she really be a Volturi member from afar, or was this only a transition that she would renounce as soon as she felt it was safe to? How much of Aro did she want to associate with anymore?

"We look forward to your return," he smiled. "Oh, and take a car. It'll probably be easier to move around with one. As a parting gift."

"Thank you," she and Jasper said in unison, then they tried to look as casual as possible as they walked down to her chambers to start gathering their things.

"Are we really going to see the Cullens?" Jasper asked as soon as the room was warded against prying ears.

"I don't know," she answered truthfully. "Seven is a very large coven."

"You can take care of yourself," he reminded her.

"Blasting one of them away is probably not going to get me in anyones good graces. I don't know if they would be able to trust me, seeing as where they've met me and all."

"What do you want to do, then?"

"I want to go to England," she said firmly. "I think I can make a better decision away from this place."

"You seem to be having some problems with pronouns. You better change that I to a we," he smiled.

She paused in her packing, looking at him. "You're really coming with? You're really going to try?"

He pulled her to him, holding her tightly "Anything for you, love," he whispered against her lips before kissing her passionately. It took them half an hour to pack, and they Apparated away before anyone had a chance to try to talk them out of it.

* * *

Bella was clinging to his neck as he carried her through the woods, rehearsing what she was going to say to his family to convince them that she needed to become a vampire as soon as possible. She wasn't totally sure this wasn't a dream, but right now she'd was willing to take what she could get. She was happy.

He had put her down, and they were walking towards the large house.

"I'm just humoring you with this," he sighed as he motioned forward. "It doesn't matter in the slightest what they say."

"This affects them now, too," she pointed out.

They reached the door, but he frowned as he reached for it.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"We may have to postpone your little chat," he grumbled.

"Oh, no you don't," she tried her best to growl. "You can't put this off again. What is so damn important..."

"We're going to have visitors soon," he replied, opening the door.

"They're Volturi!" Rosalie was hissing. "There will be nothing but trouble having them live in this house! We'll have to watch every little damn move we make!"

"If they are coming here they are obviously willing to try to abide by our way of doing things for a while," Carlisle said calmly.

"Or we can make them do it our way," Emmett sneered, flexing.

"I highly doubt that anything you are able to do would get around a witch," Amir sighed, rolling his eyes. "What concerns me the most is that we have a human over here quite often, and that would be very difficult for them to deal with while they are just learning."

"They won't have a problem," Alice chirped nonchalantly. "Really, I see her having a very easy time transitioning. He'll be a bit more of a problem, but she'll be there to keep him from doing anything rash."

"Perhaps we could contact the Denalis," Carlisle proposed. "Maybe it'll be safer if they take them in for a while."

"Eleazar won't take them in unless they denounce their ties to the Volturi, you know that as well as I do," Amir muttered.

"Perhaps we could ask them to cut their ties?" Edward threw in.

"Oh, hi, Bella," Alice smiled. "And no, they won't cut their ties. If we turn them away, they're going to try to do it on their own."

"What is going on?" Bella asked. "What visitors was Edward talking about?"

"Hermione and Jasper," Edward answered. "They left Volterra to go vegetarian. As soon as they made the decision to leave the city Alice saw them eventually coming here."

"I thought that they'd have to make the choice to come here before Alice saw it," she said, sounding confused.

"In a way they already have," Alice pointed out. "They're making a stop in England for a while, but it's only to tell her friends what's going on and see them before they come to make the trip over here. She's learned to keep her thoughts very guarded through her years around Aro. She really wants to come here, she just didn't want to think it or talk to Jasper much about it until they were well away."

"And now we're trying to decide what to do when they come here," Emmett smiled.

"What do you think, Edward?" Carlisle asked.

"She saved our lives in Italy, and I won't soon forget her kindness towards me. If they come here and we turn them away it seems akin to us rejecting them and their pleas for help. It might mean keeping Bella away for a while, but I think we should allow them to come and to take them in."

"Like I've been saying all along," Alice smiled widely. "This will be fun! At least she already appreciates the subtle points of Italian fashion. We can add another room over the garage for them, we can get it done in the week before they arrive. I'm sorry they're going for one last human hunt before they get here, but it will make it easier for them to spend some time with Bella so they can get used to her. We'll take them mountain lion hunting for their first one, I'm sure they'll like that. Oh, I'm glad tomorrow is going to be cloudy, we're going to need to go to the lumber store first thing if we're going to have that room done..." she danced up the stairs.

"I'll go keep her in check," Amir smiled, rushing after her.

"I'll help her plan," Esme said, unable to contain her excitement at the prospect of gaining two new family members.

"I'm sorry, Bella," Carlisle smiled at her. "I'm sure there's a reason you're over here at this hour, and I apologize for being a little caught up in the news."

"It's okay," Bella muttered, but inside she was terrified. Hermione had told them that they needed to change her as soon as possible, or there might be problems. On the other hand, though, this might just be the push Edward needed to change her.


	33. Going to America

**A/N: I am completely and totally excited. Why? Because the great, wonderful, talented LillyBear88 made a banner inspired by this story. I have always wanted a banner, but I've never had the talent to make one myself. The banner inspired me to write, which took a few extra days because I was out of town at a wedding, but after looking at it again this morning and I started typing away. Lilly, this chapter is just a transition, but I promise the next chapter will be dedicated to you ;) Here's the link (take out the spaces)**

**http:/ www. polyvore. com/ hunter_hunted/ set?id= 19534759**

**Thanks again, LillyBear88! You rock!**

**Thanks also to everyone who reviewed. They make me want to keep going.**

**I've gotten a lot of questions about Amir. Yes, it is the same OC I created for Fire and Ice. He narrowly won in the poll, and I'm glad he did, as I feel bad for killing him off before. I'm going to change his story slightly, and re-print it here in case you've never read F & I.**

* * *

Hermione and Jasper Apparated to Number 12 to find it empty. So their next stop was the Burrow, where they not only found Harry, but a large gathering of people.

"Granger! Jazz Man!" George shouted, waving them over, sloshing a bit of his drink as he did so. "Welcome to my twenty-eighth birthday party!"

"Oh, right. Happy Birthday," Hermione smiled, trying to look like she remembered the date.

"If I had known you were coming I would have raided Azkaban. I heard they're having a bit of an overcrowding problem."

"That's alright, George," she smiled. "Seen Harry?"

"Always business with you, isn't it Granger? Loosen up already!"

Hermione shot him a look.

"Right. Harry. Last I saw his scrawny rear was hanging out by the food table."

She thanked him, and took Jasper's arm to walk the long way around the outside of the party to avoid having to talk to more people. They hadn't been expecting a party, and they were still pretty thirsty. Harry was, as promised, at the food table, talking with Ginny, Draco, and Astoria.

"Hermione!" Harry smiled as they approached. "Good to see you!"

"Good to see you too, Harry," she said, giving him a quick hug while holding her breath.

"What's going on?" Draco's face was suddenly concerned. "You look a little under-fed, and like something is wrong."

"We haven't had a chance to go hunting yet, something came up in Volterra. And then we left."

"You left?" Draco and Harry said in unison.

She nodded. "We're still members, but we're going to go live in America for a while."

Harry's excited face fell slightly. "All the way in America? Why?"

"Because there's another way. We don't have to kill humans," she whispered, making sure they weren't overheard.

"There is?" Draco looked skeptical.

"Let's talk inside," she said, waving them towards the house. They went up to Ginny's former room, which was left pretty much the same. After everyone was situated Hermione told them about the strange visit from Edward Cullen, and how there was a whole coven of vampires that lived off animal blood.

"How can you be so sure they're telling the truth and not leading you into some kind of trap?" Draco asked.

"Always thinking like a Slytherin, aren't you?" Hermione sighed. "They had golden eyes. You can't get that color with contacts or anything like that. And Aro would have known if they were magic or not. He knew about Carlisle, who apparently discovered animal feeding."

"So you're going to go over there and try to join this Carlisle and his coven?"

"We're going to go over there to see if they can't help us learn."

"And afterwards? Are you going back to Volterra?"

"I don't know," she answered honestly.

"She's a little sore at Aro for keeping the information about animal feeding away from her," Jasper added.

"A little sore is an understatement," she muttered.

"If you're mad, why are you still members?" Harry asked.

"Because it's not a good time for us to be on their bad side. We'll have enough to worry about, trying to make the conversion and all. After we're animal-drinkers and feel comfortable in that lifestyle we can talk about defecting from the Volturi and where would be safest for us to stay once we've done so."

"Do you really think they'd come after you?"

"I'm not sure. But I don't want to risk it right now. If it means I have to join them on a few missions here and there for the next couple years, so be it."

"You can always come back here," he said, sounding hopeful.

"This is the first place they'd look," Draco muttered. "They have unlimited time to wander the world, their days with us are numbered."

Hermione looked out the window at George, who was dancing atop a picnic table, singing the Hogwarts School Song while Molly tried to half-heartedly shoo him off. Sure, their days with Harry and this lot were limited, but they were having children, and those children would have children, and so on. If she chose her ties to the magical community could go on as long as she was around, but how painful would it be to watch them moving on when she couldn't? She shook her head, earning her a curious look from Jasper. She couldn't think about those things right now. She had more important things to worry about.

"When are you leaving?" Astoria asked, shooting Hermione an irritated look.

"She's still sore that everyone expected you to end up with Draco," Jasper hissed in the humming voice.

"Doesn't sound like she's the only one," she shot back.

His eyes narrowed, but she turned back to the group. "Tonight, probably. We need to make it to Washington State, and figure out how we're going to approach the coven."

"And we need to hunt before we get there," Jasper muttered. "We'll probably just wind up doing that in a town nearby Forks."

Hermione sighed loudly, but Harry looked disgusted.

"I thought you were going to be animal hunters now," he said, looking horrified.

"We have a long distance to travel, and we're already very thirsty. They keep a human around, and by the looks of it she doesn't seem like she's the type to stay away from vampires because they're vampires. I don't think they'll agree to help us transition if we kill their human out of thirst as soon as we get there."

"Why can't you kill an animal before you get there?"

"It's not as simple as you make it sound. Animal blood does not satisfy the same as human blood. I'm sure there are tricks to making it satisfactory enough, but until we learn them we'll have to take precautions to keep things friendly."

Harry studied her, gripping Ginny's arm. "How long is it going to take?"

"I have no idea. This will probably be one of those more safe than sorry situations."

He crossed the room, and despite how thirsty she looked he threw his arms around her. "Please hurry back, Hermione. I couldn't stand it if today was goodbye."

"It won't be," she promised not only to him, but to herself as she hugged him goodbye. "You couldn't keep me from the little ones."

He nodded. "I love you, Hermione."

"I love you, too, Harry." He detached himself from her, and she reached out for Jasper's hand. With one last smile around the room she twisted, and they were gone.

* * *

It took them several jumps before they landed in the Magical Community just outside of Seattle at just past midnight. By the time they were there she had to hold her breath, the effort had made the burning in her throat just short of unbearable. They moved quickly into the Muggle suburb surrounding them, and when she was sure they were safe she pulled the car Aro had given them from deep in her bag, placed it on the ground, and waved her wand, growing it back to full-size. She then broke into a nearby gas station, taking a map of Washington, feeling slightly guilty she had no American money to leave for it.

He held the passenger side open for her, then took his place in the driver's side. They sped off, and she didn't even seem to mind that the speedometer was flirting with 100. It was right around two in the morning when they pulled into Port Angeles, the town they agreed to do their final hunt in, and where they planned on staying around until it was time for them to move towards Forks. The idea was to try to catch Edward and Alice as they were leaving school. As they seemed to get along well in Volterra, and she thought approaching them would probably be better than approaching the strange group.

They drove slowly down some side streets, finally spotting a bar where some men were harassing a waitress who was trying to shepherd them out. The men started to stumble down the road. Four was more than they wanted, but maybe Hermione could lure one or two away on their own. One would be enough for her, two and Jasper wouldn't have to hunt for his meal.

Jasper screeched the car to a stop, causing the men to look their way. Hermione threw the door open, looking as angry as possible.

"I'm sick of sharing you with your ruddy little whore!" she shouted, and Jasper had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. "I'm done, Jasper! We're through!"

"Fine!" he shouted back.

She slammed the door, wrapped her jacket tightly around herself, and stomped down the nearest road, the tires of the car squealing as Jasper tore away from the scene.

"Do you see what I see?" one of the men chuckled.

"Sounds like the poor little lady could use some love," another chuckled.

"Let's go," a third chimed in.

_Damn,_ Hermione thought as she heard all four pairs of feet turn down the street she was walking down.

"Two each would help us stave off temptation better," she heard Jasper whisper above her.

"I would have preferred to do it with one," she muttered.

"It is our last human hunt. We can indulge ourselves a little bit."

She sighed. "I guess," she reluctantly agreed below her breath. She came to a large, empty parking lot wedged between two abandoned-looking warehouses. She pretended to look up, wipe some tears from her eyes, and look around like she had no idea how she had gotten there.

"Not lost, sweet cheeks?" one of the men purred, coming into the light of a streetlamp.

"Leave me alone," she stuttered, backing up a few steps and trying to look completely unsure of herself.

"We heard your little spat with your ex. We thought we could help you out. Emotional support of sorts."

"Just leave me," she half yelled.

"Now that wouldn't be very gentlemanly of us," another man said, and they were almost on top of her.

"She really is quite lovely, isn't she?" a third smirked. "Come on, baby, give us a bit of a show."

Hermione's face suddenly broke out in a sneer. "I can give you a show that you'll remember for the rest of your life."

"Too bad their lives are only going to be a few more minutes," Jasper's voice came from behind them.

"What the..." one shouted, but Hermione had lunged, teeth clamping down on his windpipe.

* * *

Alice came out of her trance and sighed.

"Everything alright?" Bella asked. She had snuck out of her house to join the Cullens in some last minute planning.

"Yes," she replied. "They just finished."

"I can't say I'm going to miss those men," Edward said with a satisfied smirk.

"What men?" Bella asked.

"Remember those men who accosted you in Port Angeles?" he muttered.

"Yes. I remember that night," she replied.

"They won't be troubling any more women," he said, glancing into his eyes.

"All four of them?" she gasped.

"The more blood we drink, the longer we can go between meals," Amir answered, hauling a large bed frame up the stairs, Emmett following close behind with the mattress.

She looked disgusted.

"They only intended to take one each, but once they all followed their plans changed," Alice explained. "He's much less confident about his ability to resist human blood, so he was actually thinking of taking two anyways. This just gave him an excuse."

"The less people that take snaps at you, the better," Emmett winked at Bella. Amir turned away, it had been he who had attacked Bella at her birthday party, and he didn't like thinking about that day.

"Perhaps it would be best to get you home so you can get some rest," Edward said as Bella went to polish the mirror Esme had just hung.

"No, I want to help," she said quickly.

"You can help by coming here and jumping on this with me," Emmett said, hopping on the now assembled bed. "I need to know if they're going to crack it their first night here."

"Crack it?"

"I'd get Rose to help me test it, but I doubt they want to use a slightly-used bed," he replied, winking.

"Oh!" she said, turning bright red. "Um..."

"Stop being so disgusting," Alice said, hopping on the bed and taking a few jumps. "It'll be fine."

"It's _my_ car parked under this thing," Emmett laughed. "I don't want them breaking through the floor and falling on my baby. You're the one who wanted to spoil them with a bed and all. Rose and I don't need the stereotypical love-making place to get things going..."

"Enough, Emmett," Edward hissed.

"Thank God we're not taking in two chaste people," Emmett grumbled. "God knows I couldn't take two more of you. Prude."

"Let's go," Edward said, taking Bella's hand. He led her outside, where she climbed onto his back and he ran her back to the house.

"Are you scared?" she asked, climbing into bed. He climbed in next to her, wrapping an arm around her.

"About Hermione and Jasper coming here?" he asked. "Not really. Hermione is well known for her ability to see through what she puts her mind to, and she'll make sure Jasper makes the transition as well. There may be slip-ups, most of us have had them at one point or another, but I think there will be nothing to worry about from them."

"Are you going to let me around them?"

He was quiet for a minute. "At first, when they're still satisfied, I don't have an issue with you being around them. But there's a good chance that you'll have to stay around here for at least their first few hunts."

"If I was one of you..."

"Stop," he groaned. "Get some sleep. We've got a big day tomorrow. Alice already got permission from Charlie to let you spend the night. Said Jasper was Rosalie's brother, and that he's been studying in Europe for three years. It was a fight, but you know how persuasive she can be. She even invited him over, said that Jasper was studying international law enforcement and that he'd love to talk to a small-town cop, but he declined. He'd rather see the game with Billy than spend any more time anywhere near me."

"Get me up early, then. So I can cook a big, kiss-ass breakfast."

* * *

"What the hell kind of car is that?" a boy at the front of the crowd said out loud.

"A Fornasari," another one said, sounding impressed. "A luxury Italian car."

"I got that from the Italian plates," another said.

"Who's car is it?"

"I don't know. Have one of the Cullens gone out of the country recently?"

"I don't know where the older ones are. Maybe it's one of them."

"At least they got their public," Edward muttered, pulling Bella through to the dark-tinted car, Alice close behind. "They wanted to make sure there were enough witnesses we'd think twice if we wanted to attack them."

They made it to the front of the crowd, and the driver's side door opened. Jasper stepped out, closed the door, walked casually around the car and opened the door for Hermione.

"Big brother!" Alice beamed hurrying to Jasper and throwing her arms around him. "I'm so glad you're back!"

A quick look of confusion passed over Jasper's face, but too quick for the crowd to notice. "Good to see you, too, little sis," he replied.

"And you must be Hermione," Alice smiled at the witch. "He won't stop talking about you. Welcome to America." She hugged her and kissed each cheek.

"_Gratzie mille_," Hermione replied, catching on to the act.

"Brother?" the word was still being whispered by the crowd. "There's more of them?"

"I told you Italian chicks were hot," a Sophomore boy nudged another.

"Hey, bro," Edward shook Jasper's hand. "And Hermione, of course. Bella, come meet Jasper and Hermione."

"Pleasure to meet you," Bella said, hugging up to Edward and not offering her hand. The perfect chocolate brown color Hermione had changed their eyes to was unsettling to her, like they were cheating against the system designed to warn humans they were in the presence of killers.

"Come, come," Alice chirped. "Esme made a big dinner for you, and Carlisle can't wait to see you again."

"Alice, why don't you ride with them?" Edward said, steering Bella towards the Volvo.

"Of course!" she smiled, climbing in the back seat of the Fornasari. "It's so exciting you're back," she added loudly as Jasper held Hermione's door for her.

"He's just as strange as the rest of them," Jessica grumbled as Jasper climbed in the front seat. The crowd moved quickly as the car purred to life and started to make it's way towards the large white house.


	34. Meeting the Family

**A/N: So, I've been sitting on this chapter for a day and a half or so because I thought I would be adding more to it, but after re-reading it a couple times I think it's at a good stopping place. I needed to get the meeting chapter done realistically- even though Alice could have just told them everything, they could move in, and everything would be peachy, but I don't think that would be realistic.**

**Thanks to everyone who has reviewed. You guys are awesome. If you have realized kind of where I'm going with this, you'll notice we have a long ride to go. Just to clue you in, we're going to follow both Eclipse and Breaking Dawn, but now we've added Hermione and her and Jasper's relationship with the Volturi. I'll be cutting most of the Bella/Edward romantic stuff, so things might move a little quicker from exciting moment to exciting moment to exciting moment. But it's still going to take a while.**

**Sorry, rambling I think. I am totally sugar buzzing right now. Enjoy!**

* * *

Alice chatted the whole way to the white house, but must have realized that the two with her weren't paying much attention, because she focused on banalities about the town or grumblings about high school. Jasper reached over for Hermione's hand as they pulled into the driveway and the car fell into silence. As they came upon the white house Hermione had to take a few deep breaths to steel her nerves for the upcoming meeting. Jasper parked behind Edward's Volvo and Alice hopped out of the back as he held the door open for Hermione.

Alice smiled reassuringly as she opened the door and motioned for Jasper and Hermione to go in first.

"There's no need to hide who you are here," Edward muttered, looking pointedly at Hermione's eyes. She took the hint and took off the spell keeping their eyes brown. Bella involuntarily shrunk back at the sight of the vivid red.

They walked in first, moving slowly and cautiously, Hermione's hand on the wand in her pocket.

"We're home!" Alice sang, moving past them and into the main house. Hermione and Jasper followed, hand in hand. They came into the large living room, where Amir, Esme, Carlisle, Rosalie, and Emmett were standing in a line, all looking in skeptical curiosity at the newcomers. There was a visible reaction to Jasper and his battle wounds from each of them. Amir, Carlisle, and Esme winced, Rosalie took a step back and Emmett stepped in front of her, looking defensive. It was the patriarch who recovered first.

"Welcome to our home," Carlisle said warmly, stepping forward and offering his hand to Jasper.

"Thank you," Hermione muttered as he gently kissed her cheek.

"Benvenuto," Esme smiled, stepping forward to kiss each of Hermione's cheeks.

"Two more of the deserters come to join our flock," Amir said as he introduced himself.

"Not officially. More on leave," Jasper replied with a smile. There seemed to be an instant bond there.

"You have met Alice and Edward," Carlisle said with another genuine smile. "This is my other son, Emmett, and his wife, Rosalie."

"Pleasure to meet you both," Hermione said with an involuntary curtsey. Rosalie scowled.

"No need to stand in doorways, come in, come in," Esme waved them inside, motioning towards the love seat. They sat stiffly side by side, and Bella pulled Edward into a seat on the couch as far as possible from the Volturi members. They didn't have the little human mannerisms the Cullens had perfected over the years. Hermione and Jasper looked uncomfortable sitting, their backs were straight as poles, they didn't blink, they didn't move, it was obvious that she was in the presence of two killer vampires and it made her much more nervous than just hanging around with the Cullens. She made sure that Edward was always at least partially in front of her, and was more comfortable knowing Amir and Emmett were also close by.

"Thank you all for your kind welcome," Hermione said, looking around. "I'm assuming that, as our visit doesn't seem to come as a surprise to any of you, you knew we were coming, and why."

"You'll find it difficult to slip anything by Alice," Carlisle said.

"I guess there is no need for awkward explanations, then. Have you discussed the situation?"

"Discussed it?" Emmett chuckled. "Alice forced us to build a room for you."

"Really?" she sounded shocked.

"We would never turn away someone looking for assistance," Esme smiled widely. "Our family is always open."

Hermione exhaled. "This was a lot less painful than I psyched myself up for," she chuckled.

"From what Edward tells us, we owe you so much, it's the least we could do to invite you to stay with us and to teach you our lifestyle."

"I really did nothing..." she muttered.

"You saved our lives," Edward interrupted.

"No. I voted against killing you. That's a different thing entirely."

"You stood up for us in that chamber," he shot back. "There's a good chance we wouldn't have made it out if you hadn't."

"It was nothing. There was no reason to kill you, I'm sure they would have seen that without me there."

Edward wanted to say he was not so sure, but he held his tongue.

"We understand that you are against cutting your ties to the Volturi," Carlisle started. "However, I must ask you to keep your pendants hidden around town, and should we have any visitors. We try to keep a low profile, and we do not wish to raise suspicion in the area, and our family from Alaska are familiar with that crest and what it means, and have a distrust of it."

"Of course," Hermione said as she and Jasper moved their pendants underneath their clothes. "We have only told Aro that we will assist on any missions they need help with. We have not promised any ties beyond that. But we feel, for our safety, that cutting ties with them right now would be inadvisable."

"Understandable. Now, why don't you tell us a little about yourself?"

Hermione and Jasper exchanged glances. "Age before beauty," Hermione smiled.

"Cheeky little witch," he smiled back, giving her a kiss on the cheek before launching into his tale. He took his cues from Edward's feelings as to what to reveal to Bella and what to edit out. He would tell the rest of the family when the human wasn't anywhere near.

"About that time I realized that there was something missing," he said towards the end of his tale. "I felt like a third wheel, and I knew it was time for me to move on. I wanted what Peter and Charlotte have, that loving, constant companionship. So I decided that the best way to find my mate was to go where there was a large enough concentration of vampires that there was a possibility of finding one like myself. I flew from New York to London on an ill-advised empty stomach, and it took all my restraint not to take someone on the flight. As soon as we landed I went to the first club I could find and felt comfort in the fact that it would only be a matter of time before I would drink..."

He paused and looked up at Edward.

"She should hear it," Edward muttered.

"While I was sitting there the most tempting smell that has ever reached my nostrils washed across me. I damn near lost control, my desire to taste her was so strong. But I controlled myself long enough to get her somewhere private, somewhere I could take my time with that sweet nectar. Unfortunately for me she would not be taken down that easily.

"Perhaps it would be best if we let Hermione tell her tale up to that point, and we can continue the story together."

"Of course," Alice said, looking excitedly at Hermione.

Hermione reached into her bag and pulled out a large stone basin, placing it gently on the coffee table in front of her. She tapped her wand to her forehead several times, extracting several long, silvery substances and placing them in the bowl.

"I thought," she started, "that perhaps it would be best if I showed you some of the more crucial elements to my story. If pictures are worth a thousand words, being able to relive a memory is priceless."

The Cullens all leaned forward in anticipation. Hermione's story promised to be good.

"You must understand how much of my life has revolved around two people. The first being my best friend, Harry," she waved her wand and a silvery shadow of Harry, smiling and waving, rose from the basin. "The second, Lord Voldemort," she waved her wand again, and Harry morphed into the snake-like wizard, eyes red despite the silver of the rest of him. Esme and Bella each scooted towards Carlisle and Edward.

"You're going to need to join me. Just follow my lead," Hermione said, standing and bending over the bowl. Within seconds the whole family joined her in a large, bright sitting room.

"This is a memory," she informed the group. "You won't be able to interact with anyone here. They can't hear you, can't see you, you don't exist."

At that moment the doorbell rang. A woman, short and medium-built, with brown, bushy hair emerged from the kitchen and hurried towards the door. She opened it to find a severe-looking woman in a bottle green dress and a funny hat standing there.

"Good afternoon," the woman smiled. "My name is Minerva McGonagall, and I would like to talk to you about your daughter, Hermione."

"Jean Granger. May I ask what is this in regards to?"

"I represent a very exclusive private boarding school for exceptionally talented people called Hogwarts. Hermione is just the kind of student we're searching for, and I'd like to offer her a position in our school."

Jean considered her for a moment, then stepped aside and waved her into the sitting room. "Harold? Hermione? Could you come down here, please?"

A tall, round, balding man appeared first, followed closely by a bushy-haired 11 year old girl clutching a book. Jasper eyed the younger Hermione with a look of guilt on his face, then placed an arm around her as the group introduced each other.

"What kind of school is it?" young Hermione was asking, excitedly. "Science based? Literature based?"

"Hogwarts is a special school, the only like it in the UK. We teach magic to the young witches and wizards of the area," Minerva replied kindly.

"Magic?" Hermione whispered, looking dumbstruck.

"Yes, dear. You are a witch." For emphasis she drew her wand, turned the teapot into a turtle and back again. The Grangers were looking on in shocked amazement.

"How can this be? Witches and wizards are from fairy tales. They don't exist," young Hermione whispered.

"I assure you, we do. There is a whole magical community."

"How can I be a witch?"

"It happens, occasionally, that a witch or wizard is born into a non-magical family. And in that situation they send out a teacher like myself to tell you about Hogwarts and the wizarding world. I'm here to answer any questions you may have."

"I questioned her for about three and a half hours," Hermione admitted with a smile as Jasper chuckled. "In the end I believed her, and was excited to go to Hogwarts. September first couldn't come quickly enough."

The scene changed, and she showed them the troll in their first year, when she, Ron, and Harry became friends. One by one she showed them the search for the Sorcerer's Stone, helping Sirius escape, the night Harry appeared outside the maze claiming Voldemort was back, the battle at the Ministry, the decision to go Horcrux-hunting, and glimpses of her months on the run trying to find and destroy the pieces of Voldemort's soul. Jasper's arm snaked around her and tightened with each new memory, he even growled protectively a few times despite the fact he knew it was only a memory.

They landed at Malfoy Manor just as Harry and Ron were being taken downstairs.

"Tell me, how did you get this sword?" Bellatrix was screeching.

"I don't know," memory Hermione said bravely.

Bellatrix's wand came down, and she fell to the ground, screaming and writhing in agony. Several times the cycle of question and Crucio repeated itself, each time Jasper hugged Hermione tightly even though she kept her eyes averted from the scene. The Cullens couldn't tear their gazes away, tears were streaming down Bella's cheeks.

"Is it like Jane?" Edward whispered, looking into Hermione's eyes.

"Exactly, except it's real. I felt it for days afterwards," she replied as Harry and Ron ran into the room, throwing curses and trying to get to her. The scene changed again, this time to the Battle of Hogwarts. She was just throwing herself into Ron's arms, kissing him as if there was no tomorrow, not knowing that there really wouldn't be for him. Then they rushed off, and the Cullens couldn't help but hurry along behind, heads darting back and forth as they took in as much of the wizard battle as they could. Suddenly Bella, forgetting no one could hear her, screamed a warning towards Hermione in the memory as Greyback came within inches of her, stalking silently towards Hermione, who was dueling with a masked man who finally fell in a blaze of green light from Tonks' wand as she rushed past.

Memory Hermione turned just in time, and started launching spells at the advancing werewolf. He pounced at her, and she hit him in the chest with a spell, knocking him over the banister to the floor below. She ran to the top of the stairs, but Greyback wasn't coming for her, he was now trying to get to Ron. She aimed a spell at the werewolf, but she was knocked to the side and her spell went wide. She picked herself up and aimed another spell, but a horrible sight awaited her at the bottom of the stairs, and Greyback was now standing over Ron's lifeless body.

Bella buried her face in Edward's chest and sobbed. Rosalie, who had been inching closer and closer to Hermione, placed a hand on her shoulder as the memory swirled and started changing again.

"I can't tell you how much I want to get rid of that one," Hermione whispered. "I just can't."

"I know," Rosalie murmured back.

They landed just outside of a club in a suburb of London. Memory Hermione was saying goodbye to Harry, and she turned and walked down the street. Seconds later Jasper emerged and started following her. They followed to the church, where they watched as Hermione escaped from Jasper for the first time.

The next memory was the early morning after Halloween night. Memory Hermione woke up, tears streaming down her face. She ran across the room, scribbled her note to Harry, and sent Crookshanks on his way.

"Tell me if I should get us out of here now," Hermione muttered to Edward, opening her mind to let him know what was coming.

"It might be best if we leave," Edward replied.

"If she wants it so bad, she should see it," Rosalie hissed.

Edward didn't say anything, he just studied Bella's face as Jasper entered the room. Bella bit her lip as they exchanged a few words, then her face contorted in horror as Jasper crossed the room, took Hermione almost lovingly into her arms, whispered a few more things soothingly to her, then bit into her neck. Hermione immediately started sobbing in pain, which soon turned to screams as the burning spread over her body, and Jasper tore himself from her neck. Bella's eyes stayed on the suffering woman as the memory faded, and Hermione pulled them from the memories, and they landed in the Cullen's living room again. They sat in contemplative silence as Hermione bottled her memories, and put them and the Pensive away.

"Hermione was there stereotypical newborn in some ways, mature beyond belief in in other ways," Jasper said evenly. "Together we made the decision to go to Volterra, to spend some time with our own kind until she felt comfortable enough to make the decision on where to go from there. And we spent about six years with them."

"Why did you stay so long?" Bella asked.

"Hermione had a feeling that she would regret leaving."

"Didn't you want to go live back in England?"

"Being able to have my old life back once going through the transformation is a somewhat unique situation," Hermione replied. "But my friends have a tendency to forget what I am, and it puts me in a precarious situation. Every time they get the reminder they become cold to me for a couple days, and it hurts because it's nothing that I can control. I felt a tug of war between being Hermione, and being a vampire, and I didn't really see the balance anywhere in there. I felt much more of a sense of belonging in Volterra than I did with my friends. And then Marcus spoke to me, and I suddenly felt like I belonged no where. But I stayed because of this feeling like something big was coming. And a few months later Edward showed up in our chamber."

She didn't need to stay that she had suddenly found what she was looking for. Carlisle was smiling knowingly.

"Of course both of you are welcome to stay as long as you want," Esme beamed.

"Meaning she wants you to stay forever," Emmett clarified. "You probably shouldn't have let her know your names. You know what they say about naming things."

Hermione and Jasper laughed as Alice tugged them towards the stairs to show them their room. They mumbled appreciatively as she showed them the subtleties in the designed, pointed out where things came from, and explained the method behind the madness of their fully-stocked closet.

"She can size up anyone just by looking them over once," Rosalie explained. "And once she's done that she's already cleared the nearest store of your size. Just go with it, you probably won't wear half the stuff anyways."

Hermione still thanked Alice, even for the designer gowns, and after a few minutes she and Jasper were left alone to get acclimated to their new home. They sunk to the bed side by side and sighed, feeling more at home than they ever had in Italy, but knowing some of their biggest challenges were still to come.


	35. A Warning

**A/N: I decided not to re-write the whole Jacob and Edward meeting, but this chapter picks up right after their meeting in the woods after Jacob returns Bella's bike and warns Edward against biting her. If you need more explanation, just ask.**

Jacob and Edward stared each other down as Charlie's last warning echoed lightly through the woods.

"I have to go inside," Bella whispered shakily.

"Go ahead. I'll meet you up there in a few minutes," Edward replied, not taking his eyes off Jacob.

Bella didn't move.

"Go. I need to tell Jacob one more thing, and it's probably best you're not around."

"About Her..."

"Yes. About that. Please go. It wouldn't do for you to get in even more trouble," Edward hissed.

Bella walked to the house backwards halfway before turning and heading in to face Charlie's wrath.

"What the hell is going on? What's this about 'her'? I don't have all night, leech," Jacob demanded through clenched teeth.

"I just wanted to tell you that we've had two more move into our house," Edward said in a flat tone.

"What?" Jacob growled. "What do you mean two more move in?"

"When we were in Italy we met two more of our kind. They became interested in our lifestyle, and made the decision to seek us out to learn our dining habits."

Jacob snorted.

"Jasper and Hermione have moved in with us, and they'll be living with us for a while. It takes a while to make the transition, but Alice has assured us that they will do well."

"So these two are people killers?" he growled, starting to quake.

"They are attempting ditch that particular habit."

"But they haven't yet?"

Edward stayed silent.

"When was their last time?"

He sighed, but answered honestly. "You know those four men who have gone missing from Port Angeles?"

His eyes narrowed and a snarl built in his throat. "I'm assuming they didn't decide to move to Las Vegas like police were speculating."

"Not hardly."

He started taking long, deep breaths to steady himself. "All four?" he managed.

"Yes."

"This isn't going to go over well with the pack."

"Make it go over well. Did Bella tell you where in Italy we were?"

"No. She just said she had to go save your sorry ass."

"We were by the Volturi, an ancient coven of vampires that acts as the ruling family of our kind, enforcing our laws..." Edward explained patiently.

"You bozos have laws?" Jacob scoffed.

"Just the law to keep it from the humans, much like you."

" What do they do if you break the law?" his thoughts were immediately about Bella, unable to conceal his concern.

"That depends on how severe the break is. They were going to allow me to live, because I only revealed things to one human. A more severe break means they will destroy the offender, and any humans who know. They have been known to wipe out whole covens for the most severe breaks, occasionally whole towns with them."

Jacob made a disgusted face. "How many are there that they can do that without the rest of the leeches fighting against them?"

"The are a large group, and they are known for collecting vampires with particular talents."

"And what the hell does that have to do with anything?"

"Hermione and Jasper are members. Hermione is considered one of their leaders."

Jacob's brow furrowed and his jaw clenched. "What's that to do with us?"

"We both have to be very careful around them. If something happens we face having them come over to seek retribution."

"Noted. Just as long as you remind them of our rules."

"I'll inform them."

"Anything else parasite?"

"No."

Jacob started to turn, and Edward started back towards the house.

"Bloodsucker?" Jacob called suddenly over his shoulder.

"Yes, mutt?"

"These Volturi. You said they kill human witnesses, right?" he started, but the rest of the question slipped through his mind before he said it.

"Hermione," Edward answered the unasked question. "She stood up for us, including Bella, and gave them enough pause for Alice to convince them that the change was going to occur soon enough."

Jacob couldn't suppress a snarl from escaping, but cut himself off quickly. Without another word he walked into the woods, stripped down and phased.

_Heads up, losers, we've got a problem,_ he growled as he ran towards La Push.

_What's going on?_ Quil asked, sounding sleepy.

_Just get everyone together. I don't feel like repeating this a dozen times,_ he grumbled, keeping the thoughts of his meeting with Edward out of his head. _Someone go pry Sam off Emily_.

_I'm on it,_ Leah said, sounding slightly pleased. Seconds later she phased and they couldn't hear her.

_She would love being a cock-block,_ Quil grumbled. A second later he was outside Embry's house, barking and rousing him. By the time Jacob got back the whole pack had been roused and were waiting in a clearing just outside of the town.

_What the fuck is going on?_ Paul asked as Jacob came to stand across from Sam.

_The Cullens have two new bloodsuckers living with them,_ he replied, staring right at Sam.

Everyone else broke out in growls and barks of anger.

_Quiet!_ Sam ordered. _What exactly is going on?_

_The mind-reader said that he met them in Italy, and they were both interested in starting to hunt animals. They came over to learn, and it must have been recently because they killed those four guys up in Port Angeles..._

Another round of outraged noises.

_Let him finish!_ Sam barked.

_Thank you. Anyways, they've apparently moved in with the Cullens,_ Jacob finished quickly, afraid that any more loud complaints would draw attention from the town.

_Did you make sure he passes on our agreement?_

_Yeah. But that's not the worst of it. Apparently one of them is some big-shot with the head vampires..._

_There are head vampires?_ Paul growled.

_Yeah. A large group of them. The bloodsucker said they were known for recruiting 'talented' vampires, and that they enforce the 'keep the secret' rule. Pretty harshly_, he added, running Edward's exact words past them.

_So, what you're saying is that we need to think twice about attacking these two?_ Seth asked.

_Exactly_, Sam answered. _I don't doubt that if we harm them their group will hesitate to come take care of us. And, possibly, all of La Push for their time and trouble._

_Just means we'll have to take care of _all_ the Cullens quickly when the time comes,_ Paul snarled.

_Easy,_ he ordered.

_What 'talents' do these new ones have?_ Quil threw in.

_I didn't ask,_ Jacob confessed.

_Watch the news,_ Sam ordered in the double timbre of the Alpha. _Any more suspicious disappearances and we'll have to confront the Cullens. Until then we are to stay as far as possible from the newcomers. Consider them much more dangerous than the Cullens. Double patrols around the borders._

The group groaned, but they all agreed that the best course of action was the hunker down, protect La Push, and deal with the slip-up when it happened.

* * *

"Hey," Jasper said as Edward got up from the couch as the opening bars of the song that heralded the evening news filled the room, ready to head back to Bella's. "Could you drop this off at a mailbox for me?" he asked, holding out a letter.

"Sure," Edward smiled, taking the letter and tucking it into the inside pocket of his jacket before heading out the door.

"Who are you writing letters to? Peter and Charlotte?" Hermione asked, looking curious and confused.

"You'll see. In due time."

She decided to let it drop. The news started off grim- a grisly murder in Seattle, the body found in pieces burning in an isolated dumpster. Followed closely by the pleas of a family who had been missing their daughter, a suspected runaway, for the four months that day.

"I'm going upstairs," Hermione muttered, disentangling herself from Jasper and heading up to their room. She wasn't a fan of watching the Muggle news, she had enough death and destruction to last her a good long while.

"Bad thunderstorms in the forecast- a good day to be outside without worrying about running into humans. Were you wanting to go hunting tomorrow?" Emmett asked as she climbed the stairs. He was excited that he, Edward, and Carlisle had been assigned to corral Hermione if something went wrong during their hunt- he considered it a big challenge. Alice and Amir would be keeping an eye on Jasper, Alice had an easier time reading Jasper than Hermione and would do a better job keeping an eye on him than her.

"We're going to have to do it sometime, and it would be nice to not look like Jazz is knocking me around," she chuckled back. Their hunt in Port Angeles had held them over spectacularly, but they were both black-eyed with deep purple circles underneath. They probably should have hunted a couple days ago, but they were putting it off, both nervous about meeting up with a stray human, especially after Edward had warned them about the nearby pack of werewolves. They had gone too long and were both at risk of jumping on anything with a pulse.

Jasper followed right behind her to their room, shutting the door as she pulled a journal down off the shelf. She had taken to writing her story down, wanting to preserve her side of things. After Kingsley's inaugural ball she had gotten attacked from several, very vocal, anti-vampire members of the Ministry and writers for the Prophet. Hers was a polarizing issue, renewing the debate about vampires and whether they should have the right to carry a wand, culminating in a very vocal challenge by Kingsley to Dolores Umbridge, the anti-Hermione leader, to go down to Volterra and try to pry Hermione's wand from her. Harry, in particular, loved this idea, and wrote an opinion piece not only supporting Kingsley's words, but offering to pay Umbridge's way. The debate fizzled not long after, but Hermione wanted to make sure there were words that reflected her feelings and thoughts on the whole thing, from Voldemort to the Volturi.

Jasper not only supported her, but he watched her, occasionally helped her though a difficult wording or offering her a different perspective on how he remembered things. She opened her journal to the right page, and started scribbling with her quill. But she was keenly aware of how intensely Jasper was staring at her. Smiling to herself she made him wait a few more paragraphs.

"If you want something all you have to do is ask," she smirked as she finished a sentence.

"As much as I always want that, there's something else I'd like to discuss with you," he replied.

"Budge up, then," she said, standing up and joining him on the space he had just vacated on the bed. He automatically reached for her hand, intertwining her fingers with his, gently rubbing her thumb with his, staring in her face.

"What were you thinking?" she asked after a few minutes of silence.

"We've spent a month here, and that's given me some time to think about the relationships I've seen here."

"What are you talking about?"

"Alice and Amir, Rosalie and Emmett, Carlisle and Esme... they're all married. They've had wedding ceremonies, they've taken their vows, they consider themselves husband and wife. And I was thinking that perhaps we should take that step."

She groaned.

"We've been together six years. It's about damn time I made an honest woman out of you," he smiled playfully.

"I already consider you my mate. Isn't that commitment enough?" she whispered.

"So, you're telling me no," he frowned.

"All our friends know we're together. They know me calling you my mate is the same as me calling you my husband. I don't need a white dress, a bouquet of flowers, and some silly little words to make me want you for the rest of my existence."

He considered her for a minute. "If you asked me thirty-two days ago would have agreed with you whole heartedly. But now that I've seen it with our kind, I realize how much it would mean to me to hear you say those silly little words."

"How in the hell do you plan on putting a wedding together?" she said, trying to keep the triumphant tone out of her voice.

"Edward caught me thinking about it the other day, and he offered to get ordained and perform the ceremony for us, after which Alice offered, quite enthusiastically I might add, to be a witness, saying she'd make Amir be the other one."

"No!" she hissed through her teeth. "I'm sorry, but my mum told me a wedding is supposed to be in a church in front of God and everyone you love and care about. I care for the Cullens, but I wouldn't feel right getting married in front of them while ignoring our longer-term friends."

"We could go to England and get married in front of Harry and the Weasleys," he offered.

"I'm sorry," she muttered, looking in their eyes. "I'll wear a ring, I'll call myself your wife, anything like that, but I don't feel right having a wedding outside the church. I feel like I'd be disrespecting my mother."

He sighed, but gave her a small smile. "Alright. But I get to put a ring on your finger."

"Agreed," she said, swinging her leg over him and coming to rest on top of him.

"You know just how to make a man forget the burn in his throat," he purred, pulling her down into a passionate kiss.

His hands snaked around her, pulling her t-shirt up, and she broke contact with him long enough to pull the fabric over her head and throw it haphazardly across the room.

"No bra?" he growled, eying her breasts hungrily.

"I'm a witch," she hissed back between kisses on her neck. "It's not necessary."

"Then why wear one at all?" he groaned as she pulled his shirt open and started kissing slowly down his chest.

"You talk too much," she moaned. "And because you like it."

She ran her tongue down the length of hair from his navel to the buckle of his pants, and he purred appreciatively. The garment between her and her goal was quickly taken care of. She kissed slowly around his base before licking up his length, then covering her razor-sharp teeth carefully with her lips and taking as much of him as she could into her mouth. She wrapped her hand around the rest and slowly moved up and down, causing him to groan an inarticulate mess or words in a mix of English, Italian, and Spanish. She alternated long, slow movements with quick ones for a few minutes, occasionally stopping to tease the tip with her tongue.

The closer he came to climax, the more difficulty he had controlling his emotions, and the lust and desire radiating off of him had her nearly panting with need as well. Suddenly he grabbed her shoulder, and pulled her quickly up, a low rumble echoing as their lips collided. He rolled her over, pushing her legs apart as he did so, pushing her jeans down so he could rest between her legs.

"No underwear either?" he smirked, running a finger over her slick folds.

"I swear to Merlin, if you don't get inside me right now..." she growled.

He obliged, pushing into her quickly as they both moaned in unison. She lifted her legs up, hooking her knees over his shoulders, allowing him to move even further inside her. His slow thrusts almost immediately quickened, his black eyes locked onto hers in an intense, unblinking stare.

To keep him from finishing too quickly she moved her legs off his shoulders, pushing him gently away from her. She rolled slowly on her side, and he straddled her bottom leg, pushed the other one so it was wrapped around his midsection, and entered her again. One of her hands wrapped itself firmly in the sheet while the other grabbed onto his forearm as he held her hip and thigh and thrust excitedly into her. It was now her turn to start rambling random phrases, and before long her walls began to tighten around him, and with a final groan they finished together.

He laid down behind her, pressing his body into hers and wrapping his arm around her, pulling her back into him. He occasionally planted a kiss on her shoulder or the back of her neck as she ran her fingers up and down his forearm.

After a few moments silence she started chuckling.

"What's up?" he asked into her hair.

"You, sir, have a responsibility as an empath, and you are apparently a bad emotional influence."

He strained his ears, but it didn't take much to hear that Carlisle and Esme, Emmett and Rosalie, and Amir and Alice were all enjoying similar activities to the one they had just finished.

"I'm sorry, ma'am," he chuckled before attacking her neck with kisses again.


	36. First Hunt and a Visit

**A/N: So, I wanted to let you guys know what's up, and why I haven't been updating my other stories recently. My computer crashed, taking all my files with it. I had these few chapters of this story done and sent to a friend, so I didn't lose them, but my mostly completed chapters for Awake and This Isn't Happening were gone. I've been posting the stuff I already have done, but I haven't been starting new chapters quite yet. My husband has had some time off work, which hasn't happened in a long time, so we've been doing stuff with our family that we haven't really been able to do. But, alas, all good things must come to an end, and it's back to work for the hubby. So I'll start writing those soon, and hopefully I'll have everything updated in a week or two. All I have left for Awake is the epilogue, and I've only got two chapters left for Fire and Ice, so I'm going to try to finish both those off first. It might be a couple weeks before I update this. Probably not, I'm too addicted to this story to not write it for too long. Thanks for bearing with me.**

**Thanks to everyone who has stuck by me and reviewed. You guys are awesome. Enjoy!**

* * *

The rain pounded on the roof of the car as Hermione and Carlisle sat in silence in the front seats.

"Nervous?" he asked, looking over at her.

"A little," she admitted. She had no doubts about being able to successfully hunt an animal, but more nervous that the animal would not satisfy and she, despite the Cullen's careful planning, would hurry to the closest populated area and jump on anything she could sink her teeth into. It had taken all her effort that morning not to jump through the glass of the car to get to a woman walking her dog they had passed on their way to the large forest. She wanted Jasper. He had gone off with Alice and Amir traveling in the opposite direction to minimize the danger to the Cullens, and to get far enough away that a slip-up wouldn't get back to the pack.

"You will do wonderfully," he assured her, resting a hand on her shoulder. His phone rang, and he answered without dropping his gaze from her.

"We found a big bear," Emmett said, the smile evident on his face even over the phone. "Two and a half miles south. It'll be a piece of cake for her. Rose and Eddie are taking their places."

"Thank you, Emmett," Carlisle nodded, closing the phone. "Are you ready, dear?"

Hermione nodded once, and threw the door open. She walked casually to the front of the car, where Carlisle came to stand next to her. It took much less effort than she had anticipated as she let her thoughts open up to Edward. Right now, she'd do anything for blood.

"Edward is out there, listening to your thoughts, so he'll know if something is going wrong. Rosalie and Emmett are also nearby to stop you if you get distracted."

She nodded again, knowing this already. That had been the plan, though Rosalie had only volunteered that morning when Hermione expressed doubts.

"Would you like me to hold your wand?"

"Yes," she forced out, and slowly, as if she knew parting from it would cause great pain, she handed the wand to Carlisle, who carefully placed it in his pocket.

"We'll start south. Keep sniffing, you should be able to catch the scent in a mile or so. I'm not aware of your hunting strategy, but however you want to go from there I'll leave it up to you. I'll follow about half a mile behind you, so you don't feel threatened."

"Thank you," she whispered, looking up into his kind eyes before tearing south. Not too long after she caught the scent of blood. Unappealing, but blood nevertheless. She paused, and heard Carlisle do the same behind her. She closed her eyes and listened, and heard hundreds of tiny, rapid heartbeats around her before she focused on one, large and rhythmic, the source of the unappetizing smell.

It took her a fraction of a second to decide what to do. She lightly jumped to the trees, running along branches, making long, high jumps, focused entirely on her goal. She stopped short when she spotted it, the giant bear bent over a small river, poking it's paw in looking for a fish, confident in his spot as the top predator in the area.

Her eyes flicked around. She could smell them. Emmett was standing directly across from her, urging her to strike. Carlisle was moving cautiously towards her, but still a third of a mile away. Edward was the nearest, perched high in a tree, overlooking the area and keeping an eye out for any humans that might not be deterred by the bad weather. Rosalie was better hidden, but her scent was still on the air. She had to take a second for her brain to register that they weren't a threat, and wouldn't attack her when she took down her prey.

She tripped lightly to the end of the limb she was standing on, and launched herself at the bear's neck. It had no time to register that something was attacking it before she had latched on, blood flowing freely into her mouth. The bear started fighting, she felt it trying to reach her with it's paws, but she was wrapped around it's back and could easily bat it's paws away, hearing a few bones break in the process. Within seconds she could feel the fight going out of the bear, and moments after that it went limp beneath her, and a second later the blood dried up.

No one moved for several seconds while she closed her eyes and gauged her reaction. She felt full, but there was still a burning in her throat that left her feeling slightly unsatisfied. But it wasn't too unlike when she hadn't fed for a week or so. She didn't feel the need for more blood, just an annoying sensation in her throat like she would drink if blood was offered. She was sure of her control.

"There's a herd of elk nearby," Edward said, jerking his head North. "We were going to head over that way for ourselves. If you still need something, you're welcome to come with."

"Sure," she smiled. It was weird, hunting in a group rather than just by herself or with Jasper. She wasn't bait on this trip, which was a part she had become an expert at playing. A part she hoped she would never have to play again.

They struck as a group, each targeting one of the largest creatures. After taking one Hermione moved to the side of the clearing, allowing the others to drink their fill. She felt bloated, and there was still a burn in the back of her throat, but it was muted enough she didn't feel like a threat anymore.

"You did very well," Carlisle assured her as they made their way back to the car.

"Thank you. May I have my wand?" she asked, extending her hand.

"Of course," he said, pressing the wood into her palm. She visibly relaxed, but no one else really noticed. They made their way home, where Jasper, who looked like he had taken a shower after his hunt, was waiting for her with a wide grin spread across his face.

"I take it you did well," she said, hurrying up to kiss his cheek.

"The man is a natural hunter," Amir answered for him. "Took down a mountain lion before we even had a chance to smell it."

"Wrecked his damn shirt, though," Alice grumbled.

"Sorry," Jasper rolled his eyes. "I take it you did well?"

"A brown bear and an elk," Hermione answered casually.

"And how are you feeling?"

"Full," she smiled.

"I do, as well," he nodded.

His fingers interlaced with hers, and she suddenly felt much more confident in their transition.

* * *

Things in Seattle were getting worse, and the family was debating whether or not they should go check on the newborn running wild.

"We have nothing against the Volturi," Carlisle started, with a look at Jasper and Hermione. "But not all of them are going to be as forgiving about Bella's condition as you two are. We really don't want to risk them coming here."

"Won't they take her assurances that it is only a matter of time, that we are planning on doing it in the least conspicuous way possible?" Amir frowned, jerking his head towards Hermione.

"I wouldn't count on that," Edward grumbled, walking into the room, Alice not far behind. He was back to wait for his visiting hours with Bella.

"Why not? She's obviously their favorite."

"They fear her," he said plainly, studying Hermione's face for a reaction. There was no change in her expression, as if this wasn't news. "They gave her power to earn her loyalty. So they kept the information about our lifestyle from her to keep her around, where they can keep an eye on her and show they do have power. They knew me showing up would cause her to leave, and now they are worried about her, with Jasper, Amir, Alice, and I, are going to start a group to rival theirs. And with our ties to Eleazar..."

"Who is Eleazar?" Hermione asked.

"A member of our family living in Alaska," Carlisle explained. "He can sense talents. If you and he banded together, you could easily put together a group to rival the Volturi."

Hermione and Jasper looked at each other, but quickly looked away. It was still too early for them to even think of cutting their ties to the Volturi, and they had no desire to go against them anytime soon. But the idea of leaving was now put into another light. While all they might want to do is be free of the group, their leaving might seem like more of a threat to the Volturi, and they could easily become targets.

"About Seattle," Jasper said quickly, bringing the conversation back to the topic it started on. "We understand you don't want our fellows coming around. And if we don't do something soon we're going to have that very situation. So, perhaps we should go check things out. Hermione and I would be more than happy to do that for you."

"Are we so sure it's one newborn?" Rosalie asked.

"We'll have to confront the creator either way," Jasper shrugged. "Give them the warning that if they don't get things under control we'll have to kill them with the newborn."

"It sounds like a plan to me," Hermione shrugged. She summoned their cloaks, they threw them around their shoulders, and made for the front door.

"Wait!" Alice shouted, causing them to stop mid-stride. "His future disappears if you go," she said nervously, eyes staring at Jasper.

"He gets killed?" Emmett said, shocked.

"Hermione makes it back, but he doesn't," she whispered.

"What if we go with them?" Carlisle offered, trying to trigger Alice's vision. He had no intentions of going if there was a chance one of them wouldn't make it back.

"I don't know," she said, looking frustrated.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Rosalie snapped.

"I mean I don't know," she snapped. "You have no real intentions to go, so things aren't changing."

"So what do we do?"

"I'll call Aro," Hermione suggested. "See if they're aware of the situation, and if they'll send help."

"If they don't?" Emmett asked.

"We'll have to sit on it. I won't risk Jasper. If they don't come now, their hand will be forced if things get more out of hand."

"And what will we do about the humans until then?" Esme asked in a whisper.

A look of guilt passed over Hermione's face before she murmured, "I won't risk Jasper," again.

A silence passed over the room, so Hermione took the opportunity to excuse herself to the other room and make the phone call to Italy.

"Dearest One," Aro's excited voice greeted her after Gianna passed him the phone. "How are things going for you and Jasper?"

"Things are going well. We did well on our first hunt, and neither of us have felt tempted by the human scent on Edward's or Alice's clothes when they come home from school. I'm confident in our ability to make the transition."

"Wonderful, wonderful. Take all the time you need to be comfortable, but we are looking forward to your return."

"Yes. Now, down to the business of my call. Has the situation in Seattle been brought to your attention yet?"

"Seattle? No," he sounded concerned. "How many so far?"

"Five, but there's probably more. Five is just the number the humans have found burning in dumpsters."

"Five is hardly unusual for a newborn, though it is concerning that it's creator is being so sloppy about the disposal. Perhaps you could go talk to them?"

"Well..." she hesitated, searching for a plausible explanation without bringing Alice's vision into play. "I'm afraid that my going to a heavily populated area right now might only expand the problem."

He chuckled. "Understandable. But I'm still not comfortable sending anyone over there yet. What say you to keeping an eye on the situation. If the body count goes much higher we'll come intervene with you."

"Okay," she agreed, trying to put some enthusiasm in her voice. "I'll forward any information I can find to you. I'll call back if there are any more bodies or messy scenes."

"Do that. You have always done right by us, Hermione. I trust you to know when this has gotten too far out of control."

"I'll contact you about the situation again soon."

"Agreed. Good luck, Dearest One."

"Goodbye, Aro," she muttered, hanging up. She walked back into the other room, and by the body language of the Cullens she knew she didn't have to explain what had happened during the short call.

"So, that's it?" Esme looked around, hoping to find an ally.

"For now," Jasper answered. "Aro is right. Five is not that unusual for a newborn. Perhaps we are champing at the bit."

"We are only being cautious," Edward shot back.

"Let's sit on this for a week," Alice interjected. "If things are getting worse we'll discuss going to check things out. We have more important things to worry about."

"What's more important?" Rosalie scoffed.

"Victoria. She's coming here this weekend."

"Do you know the place and time?" Emmett asked.

"Of course I do," she sighed.

"Then we'll be there. With Hermione there it won't even be fun."

"It's a little more complicated than that," Edward said seriously.

"My vision blanks. I see us all back at the house later, but it seems like the mongrels are going to wind up as a part of the chase this weekend."

"Even better," Emmett shrugged. "It'll be really difficult for her to beat out us, Hermione and the mutts."

"The mutts don't know Hermione or Jasper's abilities," Edward shot back. "I'm not worried about them finding out about Jasper's, but if they see what Hermione can do they may deem her too big a threat to live this close to their land. And we would never see them coming if they decide to try to do something about it."

"So Hermione sits this one out," he shrugged again. "That's not that big of a deal. No need to make this overly dramatic, Eddie."

"What about Bella?" Esme asked Edward. "Perhaps Hermione could help keep an eye on her house."

"I could make sure the Swan residence is the most protected in the area," Hermione nodded.

"I was thinking of taking Bella out of town. She's got two tickets to Jacksonville. But perhaps she could keep an eye on Charlie."

Alice sighed, as if Edward should have known what she was about to say. "I thought Hermione could take Bella."

"What?" Hermione and Jasper answered in unison.

"Jacksonville is sunny, right? Don't you have some kind of charm that will allow you to spend time out in the sunshine without being noticed? I know you can disguise your eyes..."

"Of course I can put a glamour on my skin and eyes, but..." Hermione started.

"Can't you cast them on me?" Edward asked. "Then I can go without suspicion."

"I don't know if they'd hold if you were that far away from me," she answered truthfully.

"Think about it, Edward," Alice said carefully. "There is no one else on the planet Bella would be more protected with, not even you. And Charlie would be more apt to let her go with another girl than with you, and no one knows that better than you."

"I can convince him to let me go," Edward protested, but he looked pensive.

"If both of you are gone that takes away our two biggest advantages," Jasper threw in. "And if you are so adamant about Hermione not revealing her abilities to the dogs quite yet than perhaps she should take Bella. I'm assuming your mind-reading is old news. If you're around we'll have a much better chance of getting this Victoria and finishing this."

Edward thought about that for a minute before sighing. "Fine. Hermione, would you go to Jacksonville with Bella?"

"Sure. Though don't you think sending her across the country might be a slight overreaction?" Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"You haven't been around Bella long enough. You have no idea what she can get herself into."

* * *

Edward decided that the best course of action was to bring Hermione with to Charlie's that night. They worked out a plausible scenario and made their way into town. After confirming that she wasn't tempted by the blood around her, Edward dropped her off a few blocks shy of Charlie's house and went in first. He and Charlie were discussing the merit's of the Mariner's shortstop when there was a knock on the door.

"Hermione?" Bella asked in surprise as she answered the door.

"I am so sorry I am interrupting," Hermione said in the Italian accent she adopted in public as part of the story they were playing out. She was dressed in a jogging suit, hair slightly messy as if she had been outside in the wind and the rain for a couple hours instead of a couple minutes. "I was out running and got lost, and I didn't bring the cell phone. It is lucky I saw Edward's car."

"No problem," Bella muttered, looking more confused than ever. "Come in, I'll get you a dry sweatshirt."

"Thank you," she replied, feeling a twang of guilt at what Edward was planning on ambushing Bella with soon.

"Hey, Dad," she said, leading Hermione into the family room. "This is Hermione. Remember I told you about her the other day?"

Charlie eyed Hermione up and down before seeming to decide that Hermione was safe to be pleasant to. "Yeah, I remember. Nice to meet you, Hermione."

"Nice to meet you, too," she smiled with an inclination of her head.

"You're Edward's brother's fiancé, right?"

"Technically she's Rosalie's brother's fiancé," Edward clarified.

"That's right. Jared, is it?"

"Jasper," Hermione corrected with a smile.

"I never quite got that. I can't remember for the life of me Bella ever mentioning him before a few weeks ago. Suddenly he's moving back and he brought back his girlfriend."

"We never really talked too much about him in front of Bella before," Edward said nonchalantly. "When Carlisle agreed to take Rosalie in, he offered a home for Jasper as well. Jasper was having a little trouble coping, and said he'd rather go finish school at a boarding school. He chose to go to England, to get away from the states for a while. He spent a couple years finishing school over there."

"And how did you two meet?" Charlie asked, turning to Hermione.

"I was at the same school, to study my English. My family owns a business in Italy, and I have been making plans to help expand to England or the States. They wanted someone in the family to become fluent in English to help smooth the transition, and I volunteered," Hermione explained.

"High school sweethearts, eh?" he looked a little skeptical.

"I couldn't stand him at first," she replied with a chuckle. "I found him arrogant and pushy. But he helped me through a major life change, and I realized that he was a charming, intelligent individual."

"You should have heard how excited he was when she offered for him to move down to Italy," Edward said quickly before Charlie could ask about the 'major life change'. "Carlisle found him an apartment, he enrolled in a nearby college studying law and international law enforcement, and he couldn't stop raving about 'his Hermione'."

"Jasper graduated, and my family decided that it was time to expand. Jasper told them about several cities he has been around, and we decided that I would go look at Seattle. Not too small, not too large, though we have put off exploring it further until the situation resolves itself. If things don't clear up soon, I'm afraid we're going to have to search elsewhere."

"That's smart of you," Charlie nodded. "I won't let Bella anywhere near that mess."

"Of course not. My family has granted me a month or two off to get to know my future family and get acclimated to the culture over here, but if things don't change in Seattle by then I'm going to have to go searching for a new city."

"How are you liking it over here?"

"It is certainly much greener than what I am used to. Many more rainy days."

"If you're going to move to Seattle you better get used to it," he smiled.

"Speaking of rain, I was thinking that Bella might want a break from it," Edward interjected. "Did she tell you Carlisle and Esme got her plane tickets for her birthday so she could visit Renee?"

"They did?" he looked at his daughter in surprise. Bella was looking mad.

"Yes, and they're about to expire. I think Esme might be hurt if Bella doesn't use them."

"How many tickets?"

"Two. One for Bella, and one for a guest."

"And you don't think that you..." he started, face turning red.

"Not in the slightest," Edward interrupted, and Bella's anger turned to confusion. "I was thinking it might be beneficial for Hermione to use the second ticket."

"Hermione?" Bella said in surprise.

"She has been talking about getting to know Bella better," he shrugged.

"I have, but I don't think I need..." Hermione started, trying to look as surprised by the revelation as Bella and Charlie.

"Haven't you been saying you've been missing the sun? You won't have a problem finding any in Jacksonville," he smiled.

"I wouldn't want to impose on Bella," she replied.

"What do you think?" he turned, putting his girlfriend on the spot.

"I think it's a good idea," she said slowly, sounding unsure.

"That is, if it's all right with Charlie."

Charlie looked like he was thinking for a couple seconds before he shrugged. "Sounds fine to me."

"Great! I'll make the arrangements for them to fly out of Portland on Friday."

Later that night, after Charlie had fallen asleep, Bella was finally able to confront Edward about the situation.

"This has something to do with Alice's vision today, doesn't it?" she accused in a hushed voice.

"Of course not. Hermione has something she needs to do in Atlanta," he lied. "The Volturi cleaned up a situation there a few years ago, and they think one of their newborns was smart enough to break away from the group. Hermione wants to see if she can find them and talk to them about the situation in Seattle. This is a different situation than what Jasper went through."

"I see," she murmured.

"I would have discussed this with you earlier, but Hermione didn't get the idea to go before she talked to Aro earlier..."

Bella flinched at the name.

"Do you not want to see Renee?"

"I do," she said quickly. "I was just surprised at the Hermione thing."

"Don't worry. She'll do fine."

"I would have liked it to be you."

He smiled. "Don't want to push Charlie too far, do you?"


	37. Jacksonville

**A/N: Hi, everyone. I'm back, after taking a self-imposed break from writing. I was having problems finding inspiration, and just didn't want to write, so I let myself take some time off to rest and relax. So, at the risk of sounding a little harsh, I'm now going to take my time and write what and when I feel like writing, instead of trying to keep up a semi-insane pace while writing three stories. I will be updating, but it'll probably be a little more erratic. Sorry, it was just wearing me out.**

**So thanks to everyone who has waited patiently for me to post again. Thanks to everyone who has left me a review so far, I really do take them to heart and try to address any concerns or ideas coming from them. Enjoy!**

* * *

They were sitting in the last row of the first-class section of a half-full plane traveling from Portland to Bella studied Hermione for the first half of their cross-country plane ride. Hermione pretended not to notice, she was reading a Potions magazine that appeared to be a popular women's magazine to those sitting around her.

"Is there something you wanted to talk about?" Hermione asked once she was sure they wouldn't be overheard.

"Why did you agree to go with me? Edward told me you were going to Georgia, but I thought magic would be quicker for that," Bella responded as quietly as possible.

"Because it's obvious you are still afraid of me, and Edward thought it was a good idea for us to get to know each other better. Especially if you're planning on becoming one of us soon," she added bitterly.

"You sound like that disgusts you."

She sighed, and flipped a page of her magazine, looking contemplative for a couple seconds before answering with a question of her own. "How do you plan on making your transition?"

"I was going to have Carlisle or Edward..."

"Not that part," she interrupted. "I mean, how do you plan on avoiding..." her eyes scanned around before finishing "meat" below her breath.

"Oh! I was planning on going somewhere where, er, meat wasn't available. Just avoid it until my mind is mine again."

"Do you think that will stop you?"

"What do you mean?"

"I have tried both types, and I'll put it to you like this. Imagine that you have been surviving on a Saltine with tomato paste and imitation cheese for years. That's all you get, day in, day out. Just one. It's enough to sustain you, but you're never truly satisfied.

"Then one day someone puts a pizza in front of you. A large one, covered in rich cheese, handmade sauce, covered in all sorts of new and delicious smelling toppings. Its aroma fills the room, you can taste it on your tongue from a good distance away. Every cell in your body is screaming for you to go and take a bite.

"But instead someone hands you your everyday, imitation of the masterpiece in front of you, and tells you that you must resist that for the substitute. And they leave you alone with it. Would you be able to take the simple cracker and leave the pizza? What if it had been weeks since you had last had something to eat, and you are driven almost completely by the pain in your stomach telling you that you must eat now or risk losing control, and if you do that one pizza may not be enough. Would you still take the solitary cracker?"

"We're not talking crackers and pizza here," Bella muttered. "We're talking lives."

"To us it's essentially the same issue," she replied shortly. "The vegetarian lifestyle sustains us. But I also remember my first time. I remember that smell, and nothing else. Before I knew it she was gone. It happened a few times since then. I've waited too long, pushed my limits just one day too far, been too close to someone bleeding. It was the worst in Volterra. So many surrounding me..."

"Edward will teach me," she stuttered.

"There's not enough you can learn. Especially when you are acting so selfish."

"Selfish?" her jaw dropped.

Hermione scanned the plane, then nodded towards a businesswoman sitting three rows in front of them who was obliviously working on her laptop. "She obviously has a job that keeps her busy. She has a wedding ring, so she's married. Her wallpaper on her computer is three young children. Should she die so you can be with Edward forever? Should they?" she added, nodding towards a couple holding hands and completely engrossed in each other sitting across from them. "Or perhaps the whole of the plane? There are eighty-five people on this flight. Two less than I took my first year."

"Eighty-seven?" she gasped.

"That's low for a newborn. I was always told I had remarkable control for one my age. You see what's happening in Seattle. That's just the bodies they've found. Most of our kind are smart enough to know you kill the dregs of society and hide the bodies well. Jasper taught me to go after young, single tourists. People who would never be reported missing, or people who would have problems pinning down when and where they disappear from."

"Eighty-seven," she repeated in disbelief.

"From what Jasper tells me it's not unheard of for that number to be in the hundreds, even for some of the older members."

"I won't be like that. I'll stay away from people forever if I have to. My count will be the same as Carlisle's."

She snorted. "Who's life are you willing to bet on that?" she asked, looking Bella deep in her eyes. "How many should die so you can get your happily ever after with Edward?"

She bit her lip, unsure of what to say. Hermione went back to reading her periodical. It wasn't until the plane started to descend that Bella spoke.

"If you are so concerned about how many people you... why didn't you end it a long time ago?"

"Walking into open flames was always a possibility," Hermione whispered, eyes becoming unfocused. "From the moment I realized what I was. But I saw what the thought of killing myself had done to Draco, realized what it must have done for Ginny, Neville, Luna, and most of all Harry. I got what all those who succeed in killing themselves never get a chance to do- explain. To look my friends in the eyes and tell them what drove me to want to end it. And so I had a reason to live for a few more years. But how do you explain to everyone, and then go do what you had been hoping to do? Harry was a wreck when he thought I was dead, to actually go through with it after he knew I was still around would crush him, and I couldn't do that to him and everyone who was affected by his turned-around mood."

"But you got Jasper," she pointed out.

"If I hadn't been at that club, if I had never met Jasper, I never would have had that automatic way of death that I was thinking of. Any potion I could brew would take so long I would have thought the better of it before I took it, and because my instinctual magic would save me from most traditional forms of suicide there was little I could do to end it short of taking a poison, and that wasn't something I had sitting around my house. I guess I could have gone and kicked Lucius Malfoy in the bits, but that probably would have involved a world of hurt rather than a surefire death. But it would make for a longtime dream come true. I guess, in the end, I got my revenge."

Hermione was thoughtful for a second before continuing. "If I never met Jasper, I might not have been so emotionally drained that I would consider ending it. And by now I'd be Mrs. Malfoy, or Mrs. Lupin, or even Mrs. Weasley. George proposed to me every other week, and Harry said he was only half-joking. Weasley men like a strict woman. No matter the way, I'd be able to have so many things that I was forced to give up when I became what I am now. I probably would have a stable home, a job, friends I could visit in the worst of my moods without worrying about hurting someone. And children. My friends are all starting families, and being able to hold the little ones causes me pain, because it'll never be my child in my arms."

"But you love Jasper," Bella whispered.

"With all my heart and whatever is left of my soul. I wouldn't trade him for anyone."

"But you won't marry him."

"Out of respect for my parents. They told me they didn't care who I married, as long as he made me happy, and I did it properly in a church in front of God and my loved ones. They gave up so much for me when they allowed me to go to Hogwarts, the least I can do is honor their memory by not betraying the one thing they asked of me."

"Alice and Amir, and Emmett and Rosalie have had a bunch of weddings."

"You only get one chance to do it for the first time. I don't mind Jasper wanting me to wear a ring to symbolize my commitment to him, and I understand him wanting me to take his last name. One cannot expect someone raised in the mid 1800s to not be traditional. But as for the white dress and the pomp, I don't think it's necessary. There's no legal reason for us to do it that way."

"Edward wants to marry me," she nearly whispered.

"And we've come full circle, haven't we? Edward adores you, loves every second he has with you, and would do anything to keep those seconds limited. And yet you insist on making the change."

Bella was silent for a minute, the outskirts of Jacksonville starting to become visible beneath the clouds below them. "You and Jasper are equals. You are both incredibly beautiful, you have everything that comes with your condition, you're both talented. Edward and I are not equals. He's beautiful..."

"You're beautiful in his eyes, and his eyesight is much better," Hermione shot back.

"He has all these extra talents..."

"A curse as much as a gift, I assure you."

"How could he possibly want me when I'm forty? Fifty? Old and grey?"

"I slept with a man over twice my age, who still bore the scars of his attack when he was young, who always showed the signs the stress of his condition bore upon him. And he was absolutely beautiful. And as much as I love him as a friend, it's a much different type of love than what Edward has for you. Nothing could diminish your beauty in his eyes, I'd be willing to bet he'd think you much more beautiful as you do what he can't."

"It's all well and good to think that he'd find me beautiful when he's unwilling to touch me that way because I'm so breakable," she grumbled under her breath.

"Edward's a man. And eventually even the most stubborn men will give in," Hermione muttered back as the plane touched down. "And if you prove that you are not as breakable as he thinks you are he'll be much quicker to give you what you want."

Bella didn't speak again until they were picking up their luggage. Just as they were pulling their bags off the belt they heard a voice calling Bella from behind them, and turned to see Renee running towards them.

"Oh, Bella!" she shouted, throwing her arms around her daughter and hugging her tightly. Behind her Phil stood, arms crossed, smiling.

"I've missed you, Mom," Bella whispered, hugging her mother as tightly as her mother was hugging her.

"I'm so glad you're home!" Renee broke away, holding her daughter at arm's length so she could look her over. "And in one piece, too."

"It happens on occasion," she chuckled back.

"And this must be Hermione," she broke away to give the vampire a tight squeeze.

"Pleasure to meet you," Hermione said, her Italian accent suddenly returning. "Thank you so much for having me."

"I have to admit that I was surprised when Bella said you were coming. I was sure she'd bring Edward, or Alice. I don't remember you from when I met your family in Phoenix..."

"You wouldn't, Mom. She wasn't there. Neither was Jasper," Bella said quickly as they walked towards the parking lot.

"That's right. What was it again?"

Bella sighed, rolling her eyes and shooting Hermione a 'this is the way she is' look. "Jasper is Rosalie's brother. He chose to go to boarding school in England instead of moving in with the rest of the Cullens. That's where he met Hermione, and they are now engaged."

"And you're spending time in Forks?"

"Jasper wanted to spend time with his sister and the family. He has spent so much time around mine, it's only fair they get a chance to know me before the big day."

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-two," she answered, making it seem plausible she already had a college degree. "Jasper's twenty-three."

"That's so young," she said with concern lining her face.

"When you find the right one, the one you know you're going to be with forever, that you'd cross oceans for, why wait? We've been together since I was seventeen, so it's not like this has been a short-term thing," she replied nonchalantly as they walked out of the airport and into the bright sunshine. Bella couldn't help but stare at Hermione's skin, looking for a hint of a sparkle.

"As long as you're smart about it," Renee muttered, helping the girls put their suitcases in the car.

Renee and Phil owned a modest home within walking distance of the beach. There were two bedrooms, the master bedroom, and a smaller one they had set up with a couple air mattresses, Phil's workout equipment pushed up against the walls. Hermione and Bella changed into more appropriate shorts and t-shirts, stashed their things, and climbed back into the car to go out for dinner. Dinner was spent with mostly Bella and Renee talking, Phil and Hermione occasionally exchanging a couple pleasant words, but mostly listening to the other two. Bella noticed that Hermione was doing an excellent job playing human, Edward has mentioned Esme, Rosalie, and Amir had drilled her on it for a couple days. She was even pretending to eat, though watching her closely it was evident that no food was going down with her swallowing.

They went to a mini-golf course after dinner, and Hermione trounced them all. They went home and started a movie, and Hermione excused herself to call Jasper. She passed the phone to Bella to talk to Edward, and the started getting ready to go to bed.

"Are you going to Atlanta tonight?" Bella asked as they laid on their mattresses in the dark.

"Hmmm?" Hermione asked, looking up from the book she was reading by the light of the streetlamp outside the house.

"Edward told me you wanted to talk to that newborn who got away from you when the Vol... you guys were over there a few years ago."

"Oh. Yeah," she muttered. "I guess I better go." She dressed in long, dark clothes and jumped out of the window, but instead of turning towards Atlanta she turned south. Emmett had told her that if she got a chance she should try to hunt down a big alligator, and being gone all night would be the only way that Bella would not become suspicious that Hermione wasn't there because she wanted to go, she was there as Bella's bodyguard and to keep information from her former best friend.

* * *

The next day Renee wanted some alone time with her daughter, so Hermione went with Phil to his team's morning practice. By the time Bella and Renee got back from their morning walk and shopping session Phil and Hermione were home, and Hermione was chatting rapidly in angry-sounding Italian on a cell phone Bella didn't recognize as the one the Cullens gave her.

"She's been on that for about forty five minutes," Phil said as they started pulling out food to make lunch. "She hasn't sounded happy at all. All I can say is I'm sure happy that I'm not that Aro guy."

Bella involuntarily shuddered at the name. It didn't escape Renee's scrutiny.

"Everything okay, honey?"

"Yeah. Just the chills," she replied quickly. "Want to chop the tomatoes?"

"Of course," she said enthusiastically. She and Phil started chatting about his team's game that night, asking Bella if she wanted to go, and talking about what a win would mean when Renee suddenly swore.

"Damn it, I cut myself," she said through clenched teeth.

Bella's eyes immediately turned to Hermione, who had stopped moving with the phone half-closed. Her muscles were twitching as if she were fighting an involuntary movement. She had stopped blinking or breathing. Bella could have sworn that she saw her eyes flash red before she excused herself and rushed to the guest room faster than she probably should have moved.

"Is everything alright with Hermione?" Renee asked, wrapping a band-aid around the small cut.

"She's worse around blood than I am," Bella replied, deciding to rush after Hermione.

"You better leave," Hermione warned as she entered the room.

"I just wanted to make sure you're okay."

"Not really," she said, gripping the mattress she was sitting on so tightly it popped. Her shattered cell phone was sitting at her feet. She looked up, and the spells had lifted. Her eyes were a bright red, the sunlight streaming into the window was causing her skin to sparkle. "I'm doing my best here."

"Fight it. Please. That's my mother," she whispered.

"I'm doing my best!" she growled. "Get out!"

Bella scrambled out of the room, slamming the door, and nearly running down her mother, who was carrying a glass of water.

"Is everything alright?" Renee asked again, looking confused.

"She's just upset over a fight she had with her father about their business. She wants a couple minutes alone to compose herself and think some things through."

"Would she like to eat? Lunch is almost ready."

Bella tentatively knocked on the door. "Hermione, would you like lunch."

"No, thank you!" came the reply, the accent strained.

Hermione didn't emerge until the game that night, once Renee had changed her bandage, and Bella had slyly burned the old one. She had also cleaned the counter and everything Renee had touched thoroughly when her mother and step-father had retired to change into warm clothes for the game. Hermione apologized for her behavior, and all was forgotten in the excitement of the game.

Late that night, when Bella was asleep, the phone the Cullens gave Hermione started to buzz.

"How did it go?" she asked as she answered, knowing it was Jasper on the other end of the phone.

"She got away," he growled, clearly agitated.

"What?" she asked in surprise. "What happened?"

"Emmett and one of the mutts got into a fight when Emmett accidentally went over the line. Carlisle and I managed to get the situation under control, but in the confusion she managed to get into the ocean, and she was guarding her thoughts so Edward didn't know which way she went. "

"Damn it. I knew I should have been there," she muttered angrily.

"You wouldn't have been able to stop it without giving yourself away."

"I'm sure that even they would be happy to be done with her."

"They weren't happy learning about my gift. It irritates them that they don't have control of their emotions around me, and feel that I'm manipulating things towards my end. Things might have gotten out of control if they knew what you were capable of."

"I'm not staying home next time," she grumbled.

"I don't expect you to. Alice doesn't think she's going to come back after this one. Things got really close, and she seemed surprised at the number of us following her. Edward says she only expected six, she got eight, and she expected Edward to stay home and protect Bella. She was quite upset before she reminded herself to keep her thoughts to herself."

"If there's a next time, I'm coming with. We have enough to worry about without her showing up randomly."

"You talked to Aro about the other four bodies?" he asked, though it sounded almost like a statement.

"Yes, and he's still pressing for you and I to take care of it ourselves. He said he's going to start preparing a group, and if there's any more deaths in a week he'll send them. I told him they've already started escalating, but he just thinks it's a single out of control newborn."

"You told him my suspicions that there's more than one?"

"Yes, but he says there's no reason for a newborn army in that area. He thinks we're being a little paranoid because we're so close."

There was a long pause before Jasper muttered, "What do you think?"

"I'm thinking Edward was more accurate than even he knew. That Aro is mostly hopeful that we'll get fed up and do it ourselves, and perhaps a potential threat that has nothing to do with newborns is taken care of."

She could hear him snarl softly, but regain himself quickly. "I'll never let anything happen to you, my love."

"And I'll never let anything happen to you. I love you."

"I love you, too," he said, and she could tell he finally has a smile in his voice.


	38. Allies

**A/N: Shorter chapter, but it's needed. Again, any quotes similar to those found in the Twilight series are familiar for a reason. They have already been written by SM, and published in the books. I'm just borrowing them.**

**Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed so far. Enjoy!**

* * *

Victoria was terrified, and therefore Riley was terrified. Only one of them truly knew the extent of danger they were in. The Volturi were standing in their cottage, and there would be no running if they chose to destroy them. Their newborn army would be destroyed soon after, all quarantined in a basement, not knowing the sun wouldn't destroy them, so they believed there was no way to run.

"Five days," Jane warned. "You have five days to destroy the Cullens, or we destroy you."

"And if we do destroy the Cullens?" Victoria asked.

"That depends," she said in a sweet voice. "Just do it, and we'll decide later."

"Five days is hardly enough time to train an army..." Riley protested.

"Five days is all you have. But I do have an offer for you."

"What is it?" Victoria asked, sounding hopeful.

Jane shot a look at Alec. "Demetri, Felix, will you go make sure those bodies in the morgue are taken care of?"

Felix and Demetri exchanged glances. They knew something strange was going down.

"Now," she ordered. Not wanting to be on the wrong side of her gift Demetri and Felix ran off. Jane waited until they were out of earshot to continue. A sudden, deadly serious look crossed her face before she said, "There will be two more with the Cullens, two you may not have encountered yet."

"Last time I was there I saw a new blonde-haired male, but no one else I haven't seen before," Victoria nodded.

"There is also a brown-haired female. They'll still have mostly red eyes, but they're on their way to gold. These two have been... particularly burdensome to our organization as of late."

"What have they done?"

"It's not your concern. And I have no care about the blonde-haired male. But the female needs to be taken care of. And whoever is the one who takes care of her will find themselves particularly rewarded."

"Rewarded? How?"

"Speaking hypothetically only, whomever kills Herm... _her_ will mostly likely have any antics they have caused before completely forgiven and forgotten, perhaps they may have something they'd do in the future forgiven. And if they ever happen to show up in Volterra, they will have two champions for them to join, despite a lack of particular talents."

"Me? In the Volturi?" Victoria whispered greedily.

"The offer will be extended to whomever kills the female. We're not picky," she shrugged. "As long as she's gone, we don't care who manages to do it."

Riley and Victoria frowned in unison. "What's so special about this girl that you want her dead so badly?" Riley asked.

"Nothing," Jane snapped. "Nothing is special about her at all. Just remember, you have five days." With that she and Alec swept from the cottage.

The two left didn't even look at each other. Neither believed Jane's assertion that there was nothing special about the female, quite the opposite actually. She must be very powerful if Jane wanted her gone so badly she wasn't even willing to let the rest of the Volturi into her plans. But they had no choice but to attack in five days or die. Whatever this new girl was capable of, let the newborns die at her hand. It didn't change their main goal.

* * *

Hermione spent most of the day helping Alice get everything ready for Bella's party. She and Jasper had gone hunting the night before, drinking until they felt unable to do so anymore. Word had gotten around town about their presence, and several people wanted to see the newest members of the Cullen family. Jasper grumbled about feeling like he was being put on display, but Edward said it would be odd for them not to attend. There was a concern being around so many humans, which is why they over-indulged hunting the night before.

Minutes before Bella arrived Hermione came downstairs, seeking approval from Alice for the outfit she had picked- a deep purple one shoulder dress that covered the scorch mark still adorning her upper arm and a pair of tall boots. She had changed hers and Jasper's eye colors, but didn't want to do much more, because she didn't want to devote too much energy to keeping up the spells, detracting from her efforts to not kill any of Bella's guests.

The only way Jasper had agreed to go to the party was that he and Hermione worked out a system. Before the guests started to arrive he and Hermione sat on the same chair, with her between his legs. His arms were wrapped around her middle, his head resting on her shoulder, her hands on his forearms.

Edward caught sight of Bella looking at their intimate pose longingly, and he whispered, "It's not about being together. Do you see how they're holding each other?"

"Yes," she replied, studying their arms.

"It's to hold each other back. They've thought so many situations through. They have a code phrase to tell each other if they feel their control slipping. They're going to ask the other for a drink," he said with a dry smile. "They've worked out several signals to tell our family that it's getting to be too much and they need to leave."

"Better safe than sorry," she muttered as they sat across from Hermione and Jasper. Edward called the rest of the group over to talk about Bella's realization that she was the one who was being hunted.

"Perhaps tonight might be a good night for Emmett and I to accompany Hermione and Jasper to Seattle to try to figure things out," Amir said grimly, looking as if he were weighing his options.

"I'll go, too," Alice and Rosalie said in unison.

"We will as well," Esme said, offering Carlisle's services as well.

"Of course I'm in," Edward nodded.

"No," Bella shook her head frantically.

"We can't risk them coming here," Hermione said. "That gives them the advantage. If we go to get them they're likely to be unorganized, separated, and much easier to pick off. Now if Alec and the rest of the group were here, I'd be making them come, but Aro doesn't seem to know where they are. He said he was sending them to us, to help Jasper and I, but we haven't heard from them."

"The best plan for us would be go take care of them before we give them a chance to take care of us. There will be less of a chance of casualties if we move as a group and take them down one at a time or in small groups. Chances are they'll be out hunting, much easier to pick off."

"Perhaps now is not the best time to be making decisions," Carlisle muttered. "We've got enough to worry about right now."

Before anyone could say anything else the doorbell rang, and it was time for their human charade. The first group of Bella's classmates came in, said their congratulations to Bella, and moved cautiously into he house as a group. They started to go towards the couches, but one look at Jasper and they moved towards the food. Between Jasper and Emmett, they'd take the scary man they knew over the one they didn't.

Angela and Ben were next, and after they greeted Bella they made a beeline for Hermione and Jasper.

"It's so nice to meet you," Angela said with a wide smile, sitting in a love seat across from the couple and pulling Ben down next to her. "I'd say Bella's told us so much about you, but I don't want to lie. It's only been recently that she's been telling us about you."

"She never really knew much about us before we decided to come here," Hermione said pleasantly.

"How are you liking it over here in the States? Is it much different from Italy?"

"It is different, but different in a good way."

"The school we're going to offers a study abroad program, and I thought if I could get the money together, you know, through scholarships and stuff, that I'd really like to go to school in Italy."

"It does have some very nice colleges," she nodded. "Which area were you thinking about going to?"

"I'm not sure. Do you have any suggestions?"

"You can't go wrong with the classic areas. Tuscany, Rome, Sicily..."

"Is there anywhere you wouldn't recommend I go?" she asked with a chuckle.

"Volterra," she said, a sudden seriousness written across her face.

"I think I've heard about that, something about a festival..."

"_Don't_ go to Volterra," she ordered firmly. "It is not worth it."

"You sound like you had a bad experience," she frowned.

"We were... lured there by someone promising a tour of the older areas. The whole group got ripped off. Just stay away," she warned one last time.

There was a moment of silence before Jasper smiled and said, "Having a doom and gloom moment, darlin'?"

She immediately chuckled, and leaned back to kiss his cheek. "Sorry. I didn't mean to wreck the mood of the party. Are you excited to be done with school?"

"Of course!" Angela replied enthusiastically. She launched into a discussion about her plans after school, and what kind of grades she was hoping to get when they came out the next week, something Hermione felt very at-ease discussing and encouraging. They talked for the better part of an hour before Ben pried Angela away to go talk with some of his friends. Hermione and Jasper made the rounds of the party, introducing themselves and making light conversation.

They were dancing together with a few other couples enjoying the softened music out in the backyard when suddenly Jasper perked up.

"What's going on?" Hermione asked, sounding concerned.

"Alice, Bella, Carlisle, and Edward. Something has made them all extremely tense," he replied.

"Think we should go check it out?"

"Anything that concerns Alice like that..." he nodded, grabbing her hand and leading her inside. They found Alice inside, facing three large russet-skinned boys, Amir standing protectively in front of her, a nervous looking Bella next to her.

"Werewolves," Jasper hissed under his breath, and Hermione caught the scent for the first time. She tried not to pull a face as they approached the group.

"We have a right to know," the boy at the front muttered. Amir snarled in response, moving more in front of Alice, causing the three boys to brace themselves.

"Hey, hey," Bella chuckled nervously. "This is a party, remember?"

"Is there a problem here?" Hermione asked, moving to stand next to Amir. Jasper stood behind her, hand around her middle, ready to pull her out of the way at a moment's notice.

The three boys winced at the new arrivals.

"Those eyes aren't right," one of the boys in the back mumbled.

"Hermione!" Bella breathed. "Um, Hermione, Jasper. Perhaps I should introduce you to my, um, friends."

"I know them," Jasper growled.

"This is Jacob, Embry, and Quil," she continued, not hearing them. "Jake, this is Hermione and Jasper."

"We know _him_," Jacob spat. "And stop stalling. We want to know."

"They should probably hear it," Alice said calmly. "_They've_ decided to spare us the trouble of going to Seattle."

Bella gasped, her hands covering her mouth. "They're coming here? To Forks?"

"Yes."

"Is it what we thought it was?" Hermione asked, fingers absentmindedly tracing the pendant tucked under her dress.

"One of them was carrying Bella's red shirt."

Hermione and Jasper scowled in unison. "We can't let them come that far. There aren't enough of us to protect the town," Jasper muttered.

"I know," Alice replied. "But it doesn't matter where we stop them. There still won't be enough of us, and some of them will come here to search."

"No!" Bella gasped again. "I have to go, I have to get away from here."

"They'll come anyways."

"If I go meet them? If they find what they're looking for, maybe they'll go away and not hurt anyone else."

"Bella..."

"Hold it," Jacob interrupted. "_What_ is coming?"

"An army of newborns. Our kind," Hermione replied.

"For Bella?"

"That's the official reason," she muttered, feeling Jasper's arm tighten around her. Alice had been trying to watch for Jane, too, but Jane wasn't making any decisions, either, and Alice said it gave her a headache trying to concentrate on her.

"There are too many of them for you?"

"We have a few advantages, _dog_," Jasper said, and Amir glanced at Hermione. "It will be an even fight."

"No," he replied with a smirk. "It won't be _even_."

"Excellent!" Alice hissed. "Everything has just disappeared, of course. That's inconvenient, but all things considered, I'll take it."

"We'll still need to coordinate. This won't be easy for us. And we have one condition."

"What is it?"

Jacob looked directly at Hermione. "Don't think we don't know why _they_ sent you out of town last time," he said in a half-growl. "Time to 'fess up. What talent are you hiding?"

"You will find out, but not here," Hermione replied calmly. "I promise full disclosure."

"We'll be holding a strategic meeting," Amir cut in. "If you want some instruction, you are more than welcome to join."

"We'll be there. What time?"

"Three o'clock?"

Jacob agreed, and they agreed on a place to meet. Without a goodbye the pack boys turned and walked off, Bella following them, pleading with Jacob not to fight.

"Well, darlin'," Jasper whispered in Hermione's ear. "You like fighting alongside werewolves. This will be quite the experience for you."

"Yes, it will be," she muttered, eyes following the boys until they walked out of the house.


	39. Full Disclosure

**A/N: Sorry that this has not only taken so long, but it's a little on the short side. But I figured shorter better than nothing. I just started a new job, which is messing with my sleep schedule, and thus my free time for writing. I used to write late into the night, now 'late' seems to be an hour after my daughter hits the sack. Once I get used to it I'll hopefully be able to pick things back up.**

**I know I've said it before, but you're going to be hearing this warning a lot in the next few chapters because I don't want anyone rushing to accuse me of plagarizing: I don't own Harry Potter, and I don't own the Twilight series. Any characters or direct quotes, and a good chunk of this part of the plot, can be directly attributed to JK Rowling and Stephanie Meyer. I'm not profiting.**

**Enjoy, and please leave a review.**

* * *

There was a visible divide in the Cullen family as Bella and Edward arrived at the clearing. Jasper, concerned about the wolves' reaction to Hermione's magic, had insisted that they wear their Volturi cloaks and pendants as a visual reminder of who they were associating with. Hermione thought it was stupid, but didn't want to make Jasper upset and therefore short-tempered in a situation that required patience and caution. The rest of the Cullens were obviously ill-at-ease with the reminder of the power in their midst, and for the first time since Hermione and Jasper had come to Washington Bella was truly terrified of them. Their eyes were dull, but still red, and they stood statue-still, the only movement their mouths as they whispered to each other and the slow movement of their cloaks in the breeze.

"I can't say I agree with it, but it is a most effective tactic," Edward said as he led Bella towards his family.

"They look dangerous," Bella replied.

"They're almost here," Edward said out loud, looking deep into the woods. "Prepare yourselves," he announced. "They've been holding out on us."

Moving slowly, probably avoiding anything that might make the wolves nervous, the separate groups of vampires were forgotten, and they lined up. Edward on one end, closest to Bella, Hermione, Jasper, and Carlisle in the middle. Hermione and Jasper straightened together.

"Ten?" Hermione whispered.

"It's more than last time," Jasper replied, not daring to take his eyes away from the pack even long enough to look at her.

Carlisle stepped slowly forward, hands in front of him as if trying to show he was unarmed, though everyone knew that his most dangerous weapons would never be taken out of commission. "Welcome," he smiled warmly to the dark figures in the woods.

"Thank you," Edward translated. "We will watch and listen, but no more. That is the most we can ask of our self-control."

"That is more than enough," Carlisle nodded. "Jasper and Hermione have experience in this area. They will teach us how the young ones fight, and how they can be defeated. I'm sure you can apply this to your own hunting style."

"They are different from you?" Edward asked for the pack.

"They are all very new- only months old to this life. Children, in a way. They will have no skill or strategy, only brute strength. Tonight their number stands at twenty. Ten for us, ten for you- it shouldn't be difficult. The numbers may go down. The new ones fight amongst themselves."

A rumble passed down the line of wolves before Edward spoke up with their next question. "If their group is there to destroy ones like these, why are they not doing this job?"

Hermione and Jasper exchanged looks. "We have contacted the Volturi on several occasions, they claim that it is not serious enough to warrant intervention just yet," Hermione said in a deadpan voice.

"How many bodies warrants an intervention?"

"It is an arbitrary decision, and does not change the situation at hand. They will not be here to intervene with us, and it's for the best, as the Volturi do not honor truces with werewolves," Jasper answered sharply.

There was silence for a moment before Edward asked, "Do you know how and when they'll arrive?"

"They'll come across the mountains in four days, in the late morning. As they approach, Alice will intercept their path, Amir will better be able to pin them down as they get closer."

"Thank you for the information. We will watch," Edward announced before the wolves laid down in their spots.

"Jasper has more experience than I in these matters," Hermione said to break the silence. "I will defer to him on this matter."

Jasper stepped forward and explained a little about newborns, and his experience with them and as one of them. He called Emmett forward as the prime example of a newborn attack. As instructed Emmett went for the easy kill, and soon found Jasper in a kill position on his back. A barking chuckle erupted from one side as Emmett cussed and got back in line. Jasper had Amir and Alice go next. Amir attacked Alice from every angle he could, but he was never able to get a hold of her. When it seemed to be at the point Alice was having nothing more than fun she finally caught him, kissing his neck and catching a piggyback ride back into line. The wolves sounded slightly concerned.

"My turn," Edward announced. Hermione took one step forward, but Jasper motioned for her to get back in line.

"Soon enough," he whispered, sounding concerned, wanting to put off revealing her as long as possible, hoping the wolves would get tired and leave before they had the chance. But it soon became obvious that the pack was there to stay, and getting more and more anxious that Hermione was still standing statue-still in the line, watching her mate, muscles tense as if she were worried about his safety.

"When will we see her?" Edward suddenly cut into Carlisle and Esme facing off.

"I suppose that it's about time," Jasper grumbled, holding his hand out for her and leading her forward into the clearing. "Just be careful, darlin'," he muttered, kissing her hand.

Edward stepped forward as well, knowing Jasper was about to ask him.

"This first round, I'd like you to only use the part of your gift pertaining to blocking Edward from your mind. Let's knock him down a peg, shall we?"

"Anything you want," she smiled back with a wink, and he couldn't help but kiss her. A disgusted sound passed down the line of wolves.

Hermione stepped forward, and turned to face Edward. The vampires could all hear Bella's heart rate and breathing jump as Edward faced the fully dressed Volturi member. Jasper was too concentrated on Hermione, so Alice went to reassure Bella that everything would be fine at the end of the confrontation.

Luckily, it didn't take Hermione long. Edward had relied on his ability to give him an advantage for so long, that he seemed slightly lost without being able to use it. He was quick, and Hermione knew it, so when he advanced on her she crouched in a defensive position that would allow her to make changes for whichever direction he went quickly, and he advanced several times before backing off to a safer distance. She feinted to one side, and Edward fell for it. Before he realized his mistake Hermione managed to get behind him, pulling him down to his knees, her lips inches from his exposed neck. The whole thing took less than ten seconds. There was no doubt this time that the barking chuckle was coming from the russet colored wolf near the center.

"Perhaps you and I shall practice some more?" Hermione asked as they moved back to face each other across the clearing again. "It'll do you well to learn, just in case."

"When all this is over, I'm going to hold you to that," he replied with a smile.

Jasper stepped forward, looking into Hermione's eyes. "Did you like that?" she smiled.

"You have no idea what you're doin' to me, beautiful," he murmured. "I'm looking forward to the end of this so I can get you home."

She laughed. "Full disclosure?"

He sighed and looked at the line of wolves. "Not quite yet. How about anything you can do without the stick?"

"It'll be over very quickly," she said, eyebrow raising.

"It'll be good for you, as well, in case you drop it or can't get to it in time."

"I'm just saying that it'll be over quickly," she nodded as he stepped back.

"Three seconds," Emmett whispered to Amir.

"Two," Amir replied.

"One," Rosalie offered.

Feeling the situation called for it, Carlisle counted down, "Three... two... one... go!"

Hermione disappeared where she was standing, and before Edward could move into a defensive position she reappeared on his back, lips already at his throat. The wolves went still in shock.

"Official count?" Emmett asked out loud.

"Point four three of a second," Alice announced.

"Is that her gift?" Edward demanded from Sam. "Being able to disappear and reappear?"

"Not fully," Hermione said, turning to face them. She weighed her words carefully before continuing. "If there are vampires and werewolves in this world, it logically follows that there are other mythical beings out there as well. Before I became a vampire, I was a witch. I retained my abilities after my transformation."

The wolves stood up in unison, all growling and snarling in unison except for the largest black one in the center, who was staring at her with cold eyes.

"Show us," Edward demanded.

Slowly she pulled her wand from inside her cloak, and turned to face Edward one more time. This time, instead of taking a defensive stance she stood, wand in front of her, looking ready to strike.

"Three... two... one... go," Jasper whispered.

The wand was a blur as it sliced through the air, sending a jet of red light towards Edward. He tried to move, but it wasn't quick enough. He was flipped through the air, landing on his back with a thundering crack as his arm broke half-off, five feet away from Bella, who was still reacting to the red light.

The wolves were silenced, now all statue-still and looking at Sam for guidance. Edward was slow to pick himself off the ground, spitting on his arm so it would repair itself as he did. Bella's hands covered her face, her eyes wide in terror.

"Is that the best that thing has?" he managed through clenched teeth.

"No," she said, pointing to a bush halfway between them. It suddenly twisted into flames, burning out a couple of seconds later in a small pile of ash.

"That should be useful," Edward translated.

"It's not something I'm willing to do with the Cullens too close by," she replied. "For obvious reasons. Some of my best weapons will be useless if they're too close. I know you may not care if I hit foe or Cullen, but I do."

"You said weapons. That means at least one more."

"True," she said with a quick glance at Jasper, who was frowning. "I promised full disclosure, Jasper," she whispered.

"I know," he hissed. "I wish you hadn't."

"But I did," she said firmly. Her eyes shot skyward where a cloud of bats were passing by. She aimed into the middle, and a jet of green light erupted from the tip of her wand. Seconds later a dead bat landed halfway between the line of vampires and the line of wolves. Ten sets of lupine eyes turned towards the dead creature in stunned silence. Bella's terrified gasp echoed just loud enough for everyone else to hear.

"As I said," she broke the silence with a voice just above a whisper. "I can use it, but not with the Cullens too close by. But I'm sure I can get one or two before the rest make it to us."

The black wolf slunk into the woods, Sam emerging a couple seconds later, striding right for Hermione, his hastily thrown on shorts off-center. He stopped two feet short of her, Jasper putting as much of himself as he could between his mate and the wild-eyed werewolf.

"You will not use that against my pack, bloodsucker," Sam growled, pointing angrily at the wand.

"I had no intentions of doing so," Hermione replied calmly.

"If I see it aimed at any one of us, this partnership and the truce is off."

"If there were any words I could say to assure you that I will not cast a spell at any one of you, I would say them. When I was just a witch I was a well-known supporter of werewolf rights. Much to Jasper's chagrin I still am. I know this may mean nothing to you coming from a bloodsucker, but I would never harm you. I understand your purpose here."

She and Sam stared into each other's eyes for a long moment, each looking for the other's gaze to falter.

"Just be warned. You've changed the nature of the game, witch."

"I understand," she nodded.

Sam turned to the rest of the vampires. "If we could all familiarize ourselves with your scent, it might help us from making a... mistake later."

"Anything you need," Carlisle said.

"No sudden movements, Doc."

"Of course."

The vampires moved back into their line, standing away from each other, as each of the wolves started to approach. They seemed to take extra time sniffing Hermione, and Jasper scowled as they did so. He was worried if they were trying to keep from making a mistake, or making sure they could identify a target. He looked up at Edward, who shrugged and mouthed 'I don't know'.


	40. Lines

**A/N: I tried to make the action in this chapter last a little longer, but it sounded forced. The only way I can play out the newborn battle with Hermione and the wolves in my mind is a quick and epic slaughter. And I've never felt I was that good at battle scenes.**

**This chapter is dedicated to Lillybear88, who reminded me it was a month since my last update. She also made me a banner a while back, which means when she asks, I do my best to deliver in a timely manner. Can you tell I'm still psyched about having a banner for one of my stories?**

**Again, anything familiar was pulled from Eclipse and The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by SM. I just borrowed them.**

**Thanks again to everyone who has read and reviewed. Enjoy!**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The group of newborns burst through the trees, running towards the line of Cullens. Their eyes were wild, they were snarling as they lunged forward. They now thought themselves a well-trained, well-informed army, and they were ready for their promised easy kill. The first movement that came from their opponents came from Hermione's wand swishing through the air, hitting a skinny, mousy haired boy, who was running beside a large black haired menacing looking male, in the chest and leaving him in a pile of ash on the ground.

"Save some for us, Hermione," Emmett growled.

Several of the newborns had faltered when they saw their fellow get destroyed by the jet of light thrown by the brown-haired vampire in the middle of the line. The group split, now running towards the sides, away from the vampire who could deal death with the swish of a stick. Hermione managed to hit a second in the back as it lunged towards Esme.

Chaos reigned as Jasper, Emmett, and Amir hurtled forward. It was at this point Hermione was too afraid to cast killing curses, for fear that a few inches off would kill the wrong target, and she wasn't willing to risk Jasper or the Cullens.

And Jasper seemed just as unwilling to risk her. He had jumped at the large male in the lead, who had seemed undeterred by the death of his first fellow, and was targeting Hermione. The male had sunk his teeth into Jasper's arm, and Jasper was forced to throw him to Emmett in the force needed to shake him off. Hermione hit him with a full body-bind curse in mid-air, and Emmett was able to rip him apart with ease.

"Don't cheat like that!" Emmett laughed. "I want 'em to fight a bit!"

Hermione let her eyes dart around at the scene before her. Carlisle and Esme both had a female by an arm, the look of agony on her face made it clear that she had but seconds left. Rosalie was closest to the fire, dancing dangerously back and forth, waiting for another male to pounce at her. Alice was skillfully ducking a newborn who kept lunging at her. Hermione saw a small smirk on her face.

"This isn't a game, Alice. Be nice to her," Hermione snarled.

"I'm sorry Emmett won't let you have fun, but this ones mine. Leave her to me," she replied, ducking the increasingly frustrated-looking vampire's lunges three times as she said it.

Suddenly Hermione felt something grab her left arm. She spun into the tearing force, just managing to avoid getting her arm ripped off by the socket. Instinctively she grabbed the female newborn by the neck and flipped her over her head so they were facing each other. The newborn was quick, it was difficult to get aim with her wand. Just when she was about to get a shot off the newborn was hit from the side by a blonde-topped blur that proved to be Jasper.

"I can take care of myself," she hissed as he took off the newborn's head.

He didn't verbally respond, but his eyes were response enough. He had been terrified seeing a newborn who had actually got a hold of her. She nodded, and he finished with the newborn, then rushed after another one who was going after Emmett. She had another chance to survey the scene. Emmett, Jasper, and Amir had the three surviving newborns, and none of them looked as though they needed any help. Rosalie, Alice, Carlisle, and Esme were busy cleaning up pieces and throwing them in the fire. She strained her ears, and she could hear growls, snarls, and the sound of ripping metal coming from somewhere off to her left- the wolves seemed to be doing just as well as they had done.

Suddenly Carlisle straightened up, and lunged at a young female who had just appeared at the edge of the forest. He got an arm around her neck when she suddenly cried out, "Please!"

Hermione straightened up in shock. The newborn had no fight in her. As many missions as she had been on, she had not once seen a newborn surrender.

Carlisle threw the newborn against a large tree, causing it to crack and shake, and he crouched defensively in case it was a trick. Hermione rushed to his side, and they both stared at the dazed looking newborn, each wishing for Edward's ability.

"Please," she repeated, staying on the ground. "I don't want to fight."

Carlisle and Hermione exchanged a look. "Neither do I, child," Carlisle replied. "We are only defending ourselves."

"We didn't know," she explained shakily. "Riley lied. I'm sorry."

"What do you think, Hermione?" Carlisle asked.

"I'm not sure," Hermione replied truthfully. "All my times, I've never seen this. But I shouldn't be surprised. Not all of them are mindless."

"Perhaps we should wait for Edward? Or even Jasper, with his ability."

"I don't know. I'm somewhat afraid to turn my back..."

"Child," Carlisle said calmly. "Will you surrender to us? If you do not try to harm us, we promise we will not harm you."

"Yes," the newborn nodded. "I surrender. I don't want to hurt anybody."

"We, of course, have some questions," Hermione said, relaxing. "You must give us some time to clean up and recompose ourselves here, and then we have things we must discuss."

The newborn nodded.

"Hermione?" Jasper said, running up to her. When he saw the newborn he lunged, but Hermione stopped him by stepping into his path, and he hit her with an echoing crash. The newborn was staring at him, wide-eyed and terrified, as if she had seen death coming at her.

"Wait, Jasper, love," Hermione said soothingly.

"What's going on?" he asked, looking confused.

"She surrendered. She doesn't want to fight."

He looked at the newborn, then at Hermione. "Hermione..." he sighed. "Darlin'. This isn't the time for your forgiveness. We already have enough problems with Jane and the rest of the Volturi coming, if she sees that we let one live it just gives them more reason..."

"They have reason enough," she interrupted. "You forget my position, and I fully plan on exerting my authority today. She surrendered. If we kill her, it's tantamount to murder."

"Were all the other ones over the years murder?" he protested.

"They fought. This one won't. I will not kill her, and if you have a heart, you will not either."

He stared into her eyes, and the argument was over. If his mate wanted the newborn to live, he wouldn't kill her. "Let me take charge of her, at least, until this is all over. We need to limit the amount of information she can give to Jane."

"If that would make you comfortable," she nodded.

He spun to look at the newborn. "You there!" he snapped, suddenly sounding like an army officer ordering around a new recruit. "Come with us. Don't make one rash move or I will take you down."

The newborn looked defensive for a fraction of a second, but when she stepped forward she was again looking like she didn't want to fight.

"What's your name, young one?" Hermione asked.

"Bree," she whispered.

"Just listen to him, Bree," she nodded. "I'll protect you as best I can."

Bree opened her mouth as though she wanted to ask what she may need protecting form, but she didn't say anything.

"Close your eyes," Jasper ordered, and Bree complied. Hermione waved her wand, and a blindfold snaked around Bree's head. The newborn instinctively went to remove it, but Jasper snarled, "keep it in place. You look, you lose, got it?"

She nodded.

"Follow the sound of my voice. This way," he said, approaching the fire. When they got close enough for his comfort he ordered her to sit and stay still. He hovered over her, a guard over his prisoner.

The family's heads turned in unison as there was a sudden outbreak of loud, painful howling. Sam appeared at the edge of the woods, phased, and waited for Carlisle and Hermione to carefully approach him.

"What happened?" Carlisle asked.

"One of them got Jacob around the middle," Sam answered. "Broke a bunch of his bones. It's bad, doc."

"Can I take a look at him? I could help."

"I'd rather you not," he growled.

"Please," Hermione pleaded, looking pained at the agonized howls. "We can help."

"I just came to tell you we're leaving."

"Just a look. Please. For Jacob's sake."

Sam looked torn for a moment, then nodded. Jasper clamped his hands over Bree's ears to keep her from hearing. The pack brought Jacob into the clearing, and Hermione gasped. His side looked crushed in, a rib and a bone in the front leg were sticking through his skin.

"Oh, sweet Merlin," Hermione whispered as she and Carlisle approached.

"I can't see now," Alice warned them. "But we only had a couple minutes."

"We'll be done before then," Carlisle said, running his hand over the ribs. "This whole side is broken, but his spine seems in tact. His front leg is shattered, and he probably has some internal injuries, but nothing too major. His breathing and heartbeat sound good, considering the circumstances. He semms to already be healing."

"I have potions at the house that can take care of most of this, and I know a few spells to mend the bones, but I can't leave here to get the potions, and I don't want to do anything until I can get those," Hermione threw in.

"May we stop by after the business we need to attend to and fix him up?" Carlisle asked Sam.

Sam seemed to be having a debate with himself, but another round of painful howling made his mind up for him. "Only the two of you," he snarled, pointing at Carlisle, then Hermione. "Come by car, none of that freaky magic stuff."

"We'll be there. You have to leave from here now. We'll come as soon as we can, but we must be here right now."

"Make it quick, doc," he nodded, and the wolves hurried off just as Edward entered the clearing holding a limp Bella. He placed her on the ground, and stroked her face, urging her to wake up.

"That's better," Alice said once they were gone. "Five minutes. And Bella will open her eyes in thirty-seven seconds. I wouldn't doubt she can hear us now."

As the family cooed over Bella, Hermione retrieved their Volturi cloaks and pendants from behind a rock where they had stashed them before the fight. She draped Jasper's cloak around his shoulders.

"Was it wrong of me to keep the newborn?" she muttered, almost inaudibly.

"It's not going to help," he replied as she placed his pendant and started with her own cloak.

"I don't want to kill her if she's willing to surrender. I wonder if she's much older than the other ones, she seems to have her wits about her."

"She still seems very young."

She bit her lip, wondering if she was really going to cause more trouble with Jane than it was worth over the newborn.

"Darlin'," Jasper whispered, lifting her face to his. "I would have been surprised if you didn't accept her surrender. It wouldn't be like you. I don't like it, but if it's that important to you, I'll stand by you."

"Does it hurt?" she asked, running her fingers over his fresh bite marks.

"I'd go through ten times the pain to make sure you're okay."

"That wasn't what I asked," she smirked.

"I could use something to forget," he said, lowering his lips to hers.

"Three minutes," Alice announced.

Jasper stepped forward and pulled the blindfold off Bree's eyes, but she kept them squeezed shut.

"Open your eyes, Bree," Hermione ordered in a kind voice.

Bree opened them, looking up at Hermione and Jasper, let out a squeak of terror and scrambled backwards a few feet before she realized if she went too much further she'd wind up in the fire.

"Interesting," Edward said, taking a moment away from Bella as he reacted to what Bree was thinking, as the family started to move into lines to await the Volturi. Hermione and Jasper moved to take their position at the front, bringing them level with Edward and Bella, who was still lying on the ground.

"What?" Hermione asked.

"This doesn't seem to be her first experience with dark cloaked vampires," he said, choosing her words carefully.

Hermione looked at him, asking _'Jane?'_ in her mind.

"Yes. Her. There's a bit of a plot there."

_'This is something we'll have to discuss at length later. But we don't have time now.'_

"Of course. It is something you should know."

The wind shifted slightly, and sudden Bree howled. Amir and Alice moved to stand around her, as if to stop her from moving. She writhed, looking for an opening to get through to Bella, but fighting herself at the same time. She growled and snarled, clawing at the ground. Hermione pulled her wand and pointed it at Bree, who didn't seem to notice. Carlisle motioned for her to wait.

"Have you changed your mind, young one?" Carlisle asked calmly. "We don't want to destroy you, but we will if you can't control yourself."

"How can you stand it?" Bree groaned. "I _want_ her!"

"You must stand it," he said firmly. "You must exercise control. It is possible, and it'll be the only thing that will save you now. You move any closer to Bella, and Hermione will have no choice but to destroy you."

Bree's eyes shot to Hermione, whose wand was still aimed directly at her. Suddenly a blue light erupted from the tip, and Bree found herself unable to move from the ground as if on an invisible collar and chain keeping her tethered to her spot.

"Shouldn't we move away from her?" Bella said, pressing herself into Edward.

"Hermione has her under control. We have to stay here," Edward replied. "They are coming to the north end of the clearing now.

The Cullens closed ranks, but Hermione and Jasper remained at the front, standing up perfectly straight and unmoving. Four dark robed figures entered the clearing, moving through the smoke.

"Hmmm..." Jane's apathetic voice sounded first.

"Jane," Hermione said curtly.

Jane took her time scanning the area, eyes coming to rest on Bree. "I don't understand," she said, looking at Jasper, refusing to look at Hermione.

"She has surrendered," Edward offered.

"Surrendered," she said in annoyance. "Only you, Hermione."

"It was actually Carlisle's idea to give her the option," Hermione clarified.

"You know the rules, and that there are no options."

"I deferred judgment to Hermione," Carlisle said. "As long as she was willing to halt her attack on us, I saw no need to destroy her. She was never taught."

"That is irrelevant. The law is the law."

"That is something we'll have to discuss," Hermione snapped.

"As you wish, Mistress," she growled, but then put on a fake smile. "Aro hoped that we would get far enough west to see you, Carlisle. He sends his regards."

"I would appreciate it if you would convey mine to him."

"Of course. It appears that you've done our work for us today... for the most part. How many were there, Mistress? They left quite a wake of destruction in Seattle."

"As Aro would know," Hermione hissed. "I've been telling him that for weeks. There were eighteen, including this one."

"Hardly enough for you to bother with," she replied. "All new?"

"Brand new. And unskilled."

"All? Who was their creator?"

Edward shot an almost imperceptible look at Bree, then answered, "Her name was Victoria."

"Was?"

He answered by looking pointedly towards where Victoria and Riley were still smoldering.

"Twenty in all," Hermione said with finality. "Edward killed Victoria and Riley, we took care of the rest."

"What's it's name?" Jane asked, looking at Bree.

"Her name is Bree, and I'm sure she'll answer any questions you have," Jasper announced, a tone of warning in his voice.

"I'm sure she will," she said sweetly, before Bree started writhing in pain.

"Stop it!" Hermione ordered, wand now pointing at Jane's chest. Bree stopped writhing. "That was completely uncalled for."

"I was just assuring her cooperation," Jane shrugged. "Newborn, is their story true? Were there twenty of you?"

"Nineteen or twenty, maybe more, I don't know! Sara and the one whose name I don't know got in a fight on the way..."

"And this Victoria- did she create you?"

"I don't know," Bree said, fear in her voice. "Riley never said her name. I didn't see that night... it was so dark, and it hurt! He didn't want us to be able to think of her. He said that our thoughts weren't safe."

"Tell me about Riley. Why did he bring you here?"

Bree explained everything she knew quickly, that they were going to try to destroy the yellow-eyes and the two red-eyes with them, that it was supposed to be easy, and that Riley had promised the human girl to whoever had killed the female red-eye.

"Motivation enough," Jane said sweetly. "Fortunately our Mistress appears unharmed," she added in an unconvincing tone.

Jasper snorted.

Bree launched into an explanation of what had happened that day, but mostly that she didn't see much of the battle and wasn't sure how they had been beaten so badly. She finished with a motion towards Carlisle and the words, "that one said they wouldn't hurt me if I stopped fighting."

"Ah, but that wasn't his gift to offer, young one," Jane smirked. "Broken rules demand a consequence." She turned to Hermione. "Are they all gone? Including the half that split off?"

"We split as well," Hermione replied, sounding somewhat irritated. "I daresay I have the ability to take down a good number myself."

"They had no chance with you around, did they?" she sneered. "It's impressive nonetheless. What was the motivation?"

"Victoria held a grudge against Bella," Edward answered.

Jane laughed. "She seems to bring out bizarrely strong reactions in our kind. I trust Hermione and Jasper are doing well in their efforts to resist?"

"They're doing phenomenally," Carlisle announced. "Considering they chose to visit us at such a tumultuous time."

Jane looked at Bella.

"Could you not do that?" Edward asked through clenched teeth.

"Just checking. No harm done apparently. Now, it looks as though we are done here. Would you like us to finish cleaning up, Mistress? It is a shame we came this far for nothing."

"Considering she has surrendered and shown restraint, and complied with our demands completely, I think we should let her go," Hermione said firmly.

"She and her fellows did quite the bit of damage. The law is clear," Jane shot back.

"And my decision is clear. We shall take responsibility for the neophyte, and not release her until she understands the rules and the implications should she decide to continue her actions."

"You are walking on the same thin ice you have for a while now, Mistress," she warned.

"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" she snarled.

"It means don't think that we're as happy with your decisions as of late as Aro has been pretending to be. You have gotten away with a lot, Hermione," she spat the name. "Don't think you can get away with it forever."

"I think I can get away with it as long as I have the power I do now, and until Aro, Marcus, and Caius tell me differently, I still have my position. And I say the young one lives, and you leave now."

She and Jane stared each other down for a long minute. "As you wish, Mistress," Jane finished curtly. She turned and started walking away, Alec at her heels. Demetri looked at Hermione, flashed her an awkward smile, and followed.

"Hey, Felix," Hermione muttered when he was the last one standing there.

"Hi, Hermione," he replied.

"How're things?"

"Been better."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Yeah. You?"

"Things are good."

"I'm glad to hear it. Take care of yourself, Hermione. I miss giving you a hard time."

"Back at you, Felix. I miss having to chase you away from my unmentionables."

They exchanged smiles. "Don't be a stranger," he nodded before turning.

"You, either," she replied to his retreating back.

The Cullens stood in silence for a minute until they were sure the Volturi were gone.

"What now?" Edward asked.

"Take Bella home. Alice can stay with her for a while, make sure no one's coming back or that we didn't miss anyone. Edward, Amir, Esme, Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie, take Bree back to the house. Keep her quiet until I get back, I want to hear everything when Edward has a chance to sit with us.," Hermione ordered. She caught a look at Bella's clearly upset face, then added, "Carlisle and I will go to the reservation, fix Jacob up, then we'll get our business with Bree done so Edward will be back with you as soon as possible. Sound good?"

"Yes," they mumbled in unison. She grabbed Carlisle's hand and Apparated away before anyone could mention the meeting with the Volturi.


	41. Aftermath

**A/N: Sorry everything is taking me so long. I recently returned from my honeymoon (I finally got to take one! I'm still stoked I was able to do that, and I got to see the Wizarding World of Harry Potter to boot), and my brain has taken a few weeks to want to get back to work. But I'm back, and hopefully I'll be updating my other two stories in the next few days. Thanks for hanging in there, and for all the reviews people have left so far. **

**Enjoy!**

Dr. Cullen had taken thirty seconds to gather his things while Hermione took ten, then she started his car and positioned it so he only had to jump in and she was off down the driveway. She sped through Forks, the lights turning green in front of her, overtaking traffic that was doing the speed limit. Within ten minutes she was crossing the line, one of the giant wolves standing guard by the road. They slowed enough so the wolf could take the lead, taking them the way to Jacob's house. They could hear his cursing and howls of pain before they had pulled up next to the house. Billy was waiting outside the door surrounded by all the pack boys but Sam and Quil, Charlie next to him, looking from Billy to the door as if he wasn't sure he was doing the right thing by just standing around. Before leaving the car Hermione nearly tore her cloak off and stuffed it into the backseat with her pendant.

"Dr. Cullen," Charlie breathed in relief. "Thank God. He's in the back, in his room."

"What happened?" Carlisle asked, out of formality and keeping the secret. Charlie followed them into the house, Billy staying with the pack.

"He crashed his motorcycle. It's real bad, Doc," he said in rapid nervousness. "I tired to get them to call him an ambulance, but they wouldn't let me..."

"I have it from here, Chief Swan," he interrupted calmly. Embry appeared in order to shepherd Charlie back outside. As soon as they were gone it was Hermione who was kneeling by Jacob's bedside, reaching into her bag.

"Pain potion," she said, holding up a flask so Sam could read the label and see that the wax seal on it was unbroken. Sam nodded, and Hermione uncorked the flask and tipped a generous measure down Jacob's throat.

"Thank God," Jacob growled as he seemed to calm down.

"I'm assuming it's working, then?" she asked as she handed the rest of the flask to Sam.

"Like a fucking charm," he hissed as he sank into his pillow.

"Good. The rest is for later, and I'll whip up some more and send it with Bella. I don't know how long it's going to take you to metabolize in your system, so don't play a bloody hero."

"He'll be whimpering for it the second there's a bit of pain," Sam said with a smirk.

"Fuck you," Jacob shot back. "You'd be fucking whimpering for it too if you got smashed by a fucking leech."

"This part may be a little uncomfortable," Hermione said, motioning for Carlisle. "Hold the bone in place while I fix it, please?"

"Of course," Carlisle said, gently taking Jacob's arm and carefully sliding the protruding bone back under his skin before positioning it. Hermione, who was visibly holding her breath, jabbed at it with her wand, and when Carlisle released it Jacob's arm was no longer lying at an odd angle. They repeated the 'set and spell' process several times, and it took half an hour just to repair all his bones. Carlisle did a thorough check for internal injuries, and Hermione gave him a salve for the large bruises that covered his side.

"Don't think I'll be needing that," Jacob said as she handed the jar of salve to Sam. "I'll be cleared up by this time tomorrow."

"While I don't doubt that, nor do I doubt Hermione's magic, I would recommend you spend a day or so in bed, getting some rest, giving your body a chance to repair anything that we may not have caught. I'm sure Sam would agree to spoil you for a day or so?" Carlisle said.

"I don't have to do nothing like change a catheter bag or something, do I?" Sam asked, looking disgusted.

"No, no, nothing like that," Carlisle shook his head. "You can help him into the bathroom, I'm sure it's not over-strenuous to do that sort of thing," he added with a smile.

"We should probably bandage him up, or Charlie's going to get suspicious," Hermione noted.

"Aw, fuck, so I'm sidelined for a while?" Jacob groaned.

"We have to keep the secret," Sam said sternly.

"Fuck me."

"Not a chance. Bandage him up, Doc," Sam ordered. Hermione stood back and let Carlisle do the bandaging.

"Quite a bag of tricks there," Sam muttered, looking at her beaded bag.

"Best to be prepared," she replied.

"How did it go with your friends?"

"I'm very sure that they are no longer friends of mine," she muttered.

"What does that mean for us?"

"If we're lucky? Nothing. Unfortunately there seems there is a plot to eliminate me."

"Really?" his eyebrow raised.

"Yes. And it could mean problems for me. Luckily for you we're probably going to move on by then."

"I hope you do."

She nodded once as Carlisle finished up. "When Hermione sends the pain potion, I'll send some crutches," he said, closing his bag and straightening up.

"Thanks, Doc. Witch," Jacob gave a curt nod to each of them.

"You're welcome," Hermione said, nodding back at him before leaving, Carlisle right behind her.

"How is he, Doc? Will he be alright?" Charlie asked as they walked through the front door.

Carlisle paused, looking around. "He'll be just fine. We set some bones, gave him something for the pain, bandaged him up. It'll take some time, of course, but he'll be alright sooner than you'd think."

"Oh, thank God," Charlie repeated three times, his knees threatening to buckle.

"How about I give you a ride home tonight, Chief?" Carlisle asked.

"No, no, I can't leave the cruiser..."

"Hermione can drive the cruiser."

"I can't let her..." he protested before his eyes became unfocused. "Yes, that sounds okay. But no lights or sirens, young lady." Stiffly he reached into his pocket and tossed Hermione the keys.

Carlisle shot a look at Hermione, who shrugged. "We have to go tend to Bree."

He nodded and led a dazed looking Charlie to the Mercedes. Hermione started towards the cruiser when Seth stepped forward.

"Thank you," he whispered to her as she unlocked the door.

"What for?"

"For Jacob and for letting us in on this."

She sighed. "We captured one of the newborns," she said, shooting him a look. "I'm planning on telling her to go north when I release her, but you may want to patrol your borders either way."

"You captured one?" he sounded surprised.

"She surrendered. I want her side of the story before I let her go. There was a bit of a problem with my group. I think she knows something."

"I'll let Sam know. We'll be out there tonight. Could you call Emily, give a heads-up when she leaves?"

"I'll need her number," she said, ducking into the cruiser and coming up with Charlie's notepad and pen. Seth scribbled the number, ripped out the paper, and gave it to her. She thanked him, got in, and sped off after the Mercedes. As soon as she had dropped off the car and Carlisle was helping Charlie inside she Apparated back to the porch of their house.

"Honey, I'm home," she called dryly as she strode through the front door.

"We're in here," Jasper called back. She followed him to the dining room, where he was sitting with the rest of the family sans Alice, staring at Bree, who was sitting alone at one end looking terrified, her eyes fixed on Jasper.

"Sweetheart, take your cloak off. You're frightening her," Hermione said calmly, coming to stand behind Jasper. He jumped up, took the cloak and pendant off, then held the seat between his and Bree's for Hermione.

"You have nothing to fear if you are honest, young one," Hermione said, sinking slowly into the chair, looking at Bree. "You have information we need, and I'd like as much of the story as you can remember."

"Anything you want to know," Bree replied, looking relieved. "Riley promised that this would be a slaughter, that we would wipe all of you out easily. The short female dark-cloak, Jane you called her, came to Riley and her and told them that there would be more than she expected, two red-eyes. They promised good things to whoever killed the female, you."

"It wasn't quite as easy as Riley and Victoria thought it would be," Jasper snorted.

"No one warned us about what you could do," she whispered, looking at Hermione. "Or the howling vampires."

"Can you tell us the whole story? From the beginning, as far back as you're willing to tell us," Hermione asked calmly.

Bree nodded. She started her story with the night she met Riley, being taken in front of Victoria to be turned, and getting through her first few months. She told them about the level of chaos she was surviving in before the night Riley came in to train them as an army. She told them about Diego, and how they had found out about the sun, and, at Edward's prompting, about Freaky Fred and how he was waiting for her. She confessed, sounding remorseful, about the ferry full of people that they were rewarded for their abilities to work as an army, and Riley lying about the sun to get them to go outside for the fight.

"I'm glad she and Riley are dead," she finished bitterly. "We didn't know. We just did what they told us to do because we didn't know any better."

"Now you do, and you have some choices to make," Carlisle said sternly.

"I know," she nodded, but she looked uncomfortable.

"I'll warn her, and this Fred. I'll take you to him, if you want me to," Hermione announced, standing up suddenly.

"You want me to go, Darlin'?" Jasper was suddenly next to her.

"No, honey, I'll be fine. But her time is starting to run out, and I want to make sure she meets up with Fred before he disappears."

"And I can't tell if she makes it in time or not," Alice muttered, making a face. "Every time I try to think about it, I feel sick."

"I'll take her, I'll leave them both with warnings, and I'll come back," she said as Jasper's arms tightened around her. "I'll be fine, I promise," she whispered against his lips. Bree was watching them with interest, almost looking upset.

"Just come home to me quickly," he purred with a smirk. "Watchin' you out there got me all worked up."

"Wait for me upstairs, I'll be there shortly," she whispered in his ear before giving him a quick kiss. He brushed a lock of hair behind her ear before slowly letting her go. "Come with me, Bree," she said, motioning for the young vampire to follow her out into the yard.

"Is there a reason we're leaving so quickly?" Bree asked when they were clear of the house.

"I thought there might be some questions you have before we see Fred, and I wasn't sure if you'd feel comfortable asking such a large group or mixed company."

"I do. But we should probably get running. He said he was only going to wait for twenty-four hours."

"I have much faster ways of getting around," she said, offering Bree her arm. Bree looked apprehensive, but took the offered appendage anyways. Hermione Apparated them just south of the Lost Lagoon in Stanley park, and they started walking through the city together towards Riley Park.

"How did your family get their eye color?" Bree asked as they walked down the dark, empty streets.

"We get it from not drinking human blood. We survive on animal blood."

"You can do that?"

"Blood is blood. It's not easy to do at first, but Carlisle has survived on pretty much all his vampire life on animal blood."

"But you're eyes still have red in them. So you haven't always survived on animal blood," she pointed out.

"Jasper and I are new to the animal-blood lifestyle. Had I known about it, I probably would have tried from the first day. But as soon as I found out about it, I left Italy and came here to learn."

"Are the Cullens the only ones who live like that?"

"They have a branch of the family living in Denali in Alaska. But Jasper and I didn't know about them, so we came here despite how close they are to Bella."

"How do you resist her? She smells so good."

"By remembering everything Carlisle and his family have done for Jasper and I. They took us in, regardless of the danger it posed to take in two powerful vampires, and they have treated us like family since the moment we arrived."

"How long have you and Jasper been together?"

"Since a few months after he changed me," Hermione replied.

"Were you two part of an army before? I saw all his scars."

"He was part of a newborn army a long time ago. I wasn't ever part of an army while a vampire, but I am still part of the Volturi, which I guess is as army like as you can get."

"How long have you loved him?" she asked softly, barely above a whisper.

"Longer than I was willing to admit I was. We're mates, a bonded pair. He knew a lot longer than I did that we were going to be together forever, but once I admitted I returned his feelings I did feel a sense of security."

Bree's eyes had become unfocused. "If you've lost someone who you had feelings for, do you think that you could find it again?"

"I did lose someone I loved, but I did find it again. It takes time, but it could happen."

They entered Riley Park from the north, and headed purposefully towards the middle, Hermione walking behind Bree. Suddenly a wave of repulsion passed over them. Hermione put up her mental blocks against it, and Bree was used to the feeling enough to fight through it.

"Fred. It's okay. She's friendly," Bree said to the dark.

"I told you to come alone, or with Diego," Fred answered in a growl, appearing in front of them.

"Diego's dead. He has been for a while," she said sadly. "Everyone else is dead, too. Riley and her included. It was a slaughter. I only survived by surrendering to Hermione here and her family."

"They let you live?"

"Hermione saved me. It's a very long story, and I'll tell you the whole thing later. The short of it is that Hermione is a very important, very powerful vampire, and she made sure I survived."

"What's your power?" Fred demanded, looking at Hermione.

"I can perform magic," Hermione replied.

"She can kill a vampire without touching them," Bree added.

Fred looked nervous.

"I just came to warn the both of you," Hermione said, sounding official. "The Volturi do not take kindly to vampires who threaten the secret. I don't know what your dietary choices are going to be leaving here, nor do I want to know. I'm just warning you that if you do some of the things that seemed to be commonplace in Seattle you will draw the attention of the Volturi again, and they will come and destroy you. Don't think you can outrun them. Demetri can track pretty much anyone anywhere, and, Fred, I wouldn't assume that your power will keep you completely safe."

"So where can we go?"

"Anywhere. Wander if you want, find a permanent place if you want, it's up to you. But you probably want to stay away from the South. There's wars going on down there, and rogue vampires wandering in the area tend to not come back. Just be smart, and be safe and you'll be fine."

Bree went to go stand by Fred, clutching his arm as the sky began to lighten. "Why are you telling us this? Why didn't you bother destroying Bree?"

"Because she showed that she wasn't a mindless killing machine when she surrendered. If I killed her despite that I would be killing part of my humanity. And when you're one of us you want to keep as much of that as you can," Hermione replied before bidding them good-bye and good-luck, watching them disappear into the night, then Apparating straight to her bedroom where Jasper was waiting for her.


	42. An Occasional Visitor

**A/N: Those of you who have read 'The Unspoken Connection' and/or 'Twist of Fate' will know this, but if you don't I'm very sorry for taking so long to update. Things have been absolutely crazy in real life, and (I have to say this again because I'm so excited) I'm pregnant again! And, as those of you who have gone through the experience know, the first trimester is a lovely mess of crazy hormones, feeling sick, and getting exhausted doing any and every thing. We'll see if the fatigue gets better, and hopefully it won't take months for my next update.**

**This is a transitional chapter that I was going to attach to the last chapter, but decided to split. I hope you enjoy.**

The coffee shop on a quiet street in Marshall, Texas closed early for the first time since the local football team had made it to state with no more notice than a hastily-scrawled sign in the front door. The blinds, which hadn't been drawn in years, were now tightly shut, and napkins were taped over any holes that were large enough to allow in the streetlight. The lights inside were all on, the normally soft bulbs had been replaced with brighter bulbs for the occasion. A battered old trunk sat in one corner, tucked safely under and table, the brass plate atop it had been carefully shined, then covered hastily with another box to cover the name it bore.

Five people were gathered in the shop- Penny Maberry and her husband, Aaron were absentmindedly wiping down everything in the shop. They had been the only two ten years prior, the last time he had visited, opting to leave their children at home with his mother and no explanation. But they had presented the idea to their son, Christopher, his wife Michelle, and their other daughter Lindsay, and despite the lack of information from their parents they agreed to be at the shop. All they knew was that they were going to meet an old family member, one who made a promise a long time ago to visit one night every ten years and no more, the one who had owned the old trunk when it was brand-new. The younger generation had been carefully warned against making guesses as to exactly what this relative was, that it was best left unsaid, but were told they could freely call him by his name- Jasper. Penny had first visited with Jasper when she was sixteen, and had been the only family member willing to keep on the tradition. Aaron had been there twice, the first time leaving him wondering just what kind of family he had married into.

"Why did he want the trunk this time?" Aaron asked. "Has he ever wanted it before?"

"Never," Penny shook her head, wiping the counter for the sixth time. "But his letter said he has a steady place to live for the first time in... a long time. And it said he's bringing his wife."

Aaron snorted. "I didn't know their kind could get married," he muttered under his breath.

Lindsay, who was peeking through the blinds to the rapidly darkening street outside, suddenly gasped. "I think they're here," she whispered as an Italian sports car with dark tinted windows pulled smoothly to a stop in the parking spot directly in front of the door. "No, that can't be them. They're too young..."

"It's probably them," Penny said in nearly a whisper. She was right. Seconds later there was a soft rap on the door. Lindsay looked at her mother, looking slightly scared.

"Let him in," Aaron said, sounding unsure of himself.

Lindsay crossed cautiously to the door, opening it from as far away as her arm would let her, and retreating several steps back to let Jasper enter without getting too close.

"Good evening," Jasper smiled warmly as he escorted Hermione inside and closed the door behind him, locking it.

Penny, who was standing straight as an arrow, allowed her lips to curl up slightly. "Lindsay, Chris, Michelle, this is Jasper Whitlock and... I'm sorry, I don't know your name."

"Hermione," she said with a polite nod. "It is nice to meet all of you."

Michelle, who was studying the newcomers as intently as her husband and sister in law, managed a timid, "Pleasure to meet you," before she clutched at her husband's arm.

"Would you like to come sit?" Penny offered, motioning towards a couple tables they had pushed together, an array of photo albums placed on top. The group sat around the table while Penny served coffee to everyone, even Jasper and Hermione, who were the only ones who didn't immediately take a sip from theirs.

"This is a lovely shop you have here," Hermione said, trying to break the uncomfortable silence.

"I always wanted a coffee shop," Penny nodded. "And we found this good place near the college, so we do decent business."

"That's good," she nodded. Penny offered to show Jasper the photo albums- weddings, vacations, new children, the last ten years of his family's history. This had always been his favorite part, feeling as though, despite what he was and how awkward it was for his family to meet up with him, there was a part of them that still considered him their kin.

"Your trunk is over there," Aaron pointed after several hours of photos and tales. The room grew suddenly more silent and awkward- the family had almost forgotten the age of their guest in Jasper and Hermione's friendly attitudes, but the old trunk was a reminder that Jasper had, despite his youthful appearance, achieved an unnatural age, and was therefore something to fear.

"Thank you," Jasper said, going to the trunk, moving the stuff off the top, and carefully placing the trunk onto the table. He produced an ancient looking key and opened the lock. Inside were two carefully folded Confederate Uniforms, one fancier than the other, which had an old blood stain on the collar. There were also some old journals and a couple of dusty boxes. Jasper immediately reached for the smallest of these, opening it up and revealing an old, slightly tarnished ring.

"This is why I wanted to wait to get you a ring," he said, looking at Hermione. "Because I had this one from my mother waiting for you."

"Jasper, it's beautiful," she whispered as he placed it on her finger. It was loose, but she twisted it three times around her finger and when she set it back in place it had shrunk to her size. "You kept it all these years?"

"Well, it's been in the trunk all these years. It was my mothers," he said, closing the trunk and locking it again.

"Did you carry it with you when you went to war?"

"Not quite," he said, sitting next to her. Neither really noticed the family was leaning in. Even though Penny had met Jasper three times she had never heard him speak of his history. He came to speak of the family, then left, and it was an unwritten rule that no one asked him of the past. Maybe that part was borne of fear of how he may answer.

Jasper took a deep breath before elaborating. "It was a few years after I met Maria, when I first became homesick. She thought the idea foolish, that we were above the love of family or friends, or more she tried to convince me she was all the family I needed. But I was not so easily swayed. And so there came a night, right after we had lost most our number defeating a nearby group, that she sent me out... recruiting others. There was a town nearby, and I knew the type she preferred. But I did not go to the town. I continued North, moving for two nights before coming to my family's old home. I knew they had not moved, I could see my sisters moving in the windows. At no point did I have the intention of interacting with my family, but I did wish to see my mother, and I could tell by her breathing and the beat of her heart that she was not well.

"That night I snuck into her room, and sat at the side of her bed. It was a warm night, and there was sweat upon her brow, and in a foolish move I pressed my hand against it in an effort to cool her. Of course she woke up, and out of shock or fear, or maybe because I wanted to see her, I remained where I was. I could feel the terror that passed through her, of course stories had reached her even at a young age, but as soon as she realized it was me her fear was replaced with delight. It took her a great effort to sit up and hold me, and an equal effort on my part not to... But I resisted.

"'I was told you were dead,' she whispered, her voice hoarse with age and sickness.

"'Those reports weren't completely inaccurate,' I replied.

"'And yet you are here,' she said.

"'I should not be,' I told her.

"'But since you are, stay. I don't have much time left,' she begged.

"There was no way for me to turn her down. And so I stayed that night, telling her about the army, but never bringing up what happened the night I met Maria. She told me what happened with my family. My father passing. My sisters growing up and getting married. One, the youngest, was still living with her. The eldest was by often, helping, trying to set her affairs in order. As the lone son, everything would have gone to me, but since it was assumed I was dead things were being divided amongst my sister's husbands, all of whom would not lay claim until my mother was dead. She was very well liked.

"I spent the day hiding in a nearby cave, and returned the next two nights. On that last night she had taken a downturn. My youngest and eldest sisters were by her bedside, wanting to be there in the end. That night was stormy, and they tried to close the windows, but my mother insisted the one I had come in through stay open. She told them I was returning. They assumed her fever had addled her brain. I stayed under that window for an hour, debating going up, until I heard her begging for me, and I knew I couldn't stay hidden. To the shock of my sisters I entered the house. One look at me was enough for them to realize I was no longer the charming, charismatic brother they once knew, and they both attempted to run. But my mother insisted I was harmless, and begged them to stay. While hardly 'harmless' I told my sisters that they ad nothing to fear, and they did not. I had made sure I was satisfied before I entered the home each night.

"That night mother made her wishes quite clear- I was to own the home and the property. I told her I desired none of it, that I had no need for it, and I would not stay in it even if I did inherit it for fear of what might come to the area if I did. This was before I knew that the area was far enough north that it was in somewhat of a neutral zone, the area where none of the peaceful from the North ventured for fear of getting too close, and where none of the warriors from the South ventured for more than a night for fear of what came in from the North, which is the direction the Volturi approached from when they did conduct a raid. It was a recruiting ground, but not territory. Those with the farthest Northern territories were the first taken out in raids, and therefore the Northernmost territories were particularly undesirable unless they expanded South.

"When I refused my mother's wishes, she took off her wedding ring and pressed it into my hand.

"'For when you find the one,' she whispered.

"I didn't dare tell her that I would probably never find 'the one'. I had Maria, but it was not what one would expect when you find what you and I have," he said, taking Hermione's hand and stroked it before continuing. "And then she passed."

"I made to leave, but my sisters begged me to stay long enough to say a proper farewell. They agreed to let me stay in the basement of the house until that night, and promised that they'd hold the service close to twilight so I could be close enough to hear and watch. In the basement I found a few things- the dress uniform I had stashed at the house so it would not get stolen or destroyed, some trinkets from my childhood, a journal I had kept during my time in the army. I placed these, as well as the uniform I was still wearing, into this trunk, locked it, and put it out of the way.

"After the service I talked with my two sisters. I told them about the trunk, and asked that they keep it safe until such a time that I could retrieve it and keep it safe, as I knew that my lifestyle would mean the quick destruction of the trunk and its contents. They were troubled by the thought, but reluctantly agreed. My younger sister asked me to stop by in five years, as there would be no way to let anyone know of my death other that I no longer showed up. I agreed. And when I returned in five years, both my sisters and their husbands were there, as well as my eldest sister's eldest son. I visited for a few hours, asking about the family, and leaving before I could be asked about what was happening with me. I assured the trunk was safe, and agreed to return in five more years. This continued for twenty five years before both my sisters were gone, and their children asked I reduced my appearances to once every ten years. And I have done so, and have been fortunate enough to find at least one family member willing to meet with me. My last visit was right before I departed for London, which, as my family does not know, is where I met Hermione."

Silence reigned for a few minutes as the story sunk in, most eyes were resting on the ancient trunk. The room was beginning to lighten as the sun threatened to rise.

"Thank you for keeping this safe," Jasper said, standing up and patting the trunk. "I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome," Penny nodded.

"Ten years?"

"Ten years," she nodded again.

"I'll see you then," he bowed to each family member in farewell, and he and Hermione left. As they drove out of town in the dark-tinted vehicle Hermione seemed lost in thought. Jasper took her hand, but didn't interrupt her thoughts until he could take the silence no more.

"You don't know how long I've wanted to place that ring on your finger," he said as they crossed into Oklahoma.

"I've had a feeling," she replied with a half-smile.

"I thought I should probably complete your transition to Mrs. Whitlock, or Edward would give Bella his last name before I could do things properly."

"Hmm," she grunted, looking out the windshield. Edward and Bella were getting married in three weeks, but it seemed as if she was having as much stress put on her as the bride. First she and Jasper had debated attending the wedding, they were still not sure about their control in large crowds. They had been around Bella and his family, but they were still having rough points in their transition. There was a point where Hermione had gone off the trail of a bear to hunt the slightly-injured victims of a rock-climbing incident, but Amir had been waiting in that direction and managed to get her back on track. Jasper had had two close calls, once with a fisherman and another when he got too close to a playground, but each time Hermione put up a shield and kept him from going any further. She always hunted first with a set of 'bodyguards' while Jasper held her wand, then he went off while she guarded him. While they were each making the transition, she was having an easier time. And it was their uncertainty that had them debating if they would be able to deal with the crowd of the wedding.

Aro, who checked in occasionally after the newborn 'incident', had caught wind of the wedding, and was insisting that Hermione keep a 'close eye' on the situation, and to inform him the minute Bella was turned. This part was more troubling to Hermione, because she knew that Edward had no plans on changing Bella immediately after the wedding. She was thinking about lying to Aro, but was afraid that Aro would insist on meeting with her and Jasper soon afterwards to confirm the information. The longer and longer Edward and Bella took, the more and more pressure the Volturi seemed to be putting on Hermione, hinting even that several of the members wanted to 'visit' her and that they may be by shortly after the wedding. This had ignited a renewed debate between her and Jasper about their leaving the group, but they eventually decided that it was safer to pretend they were on friendly terms and try to keep them at bay than to defect and potentially bring them over from Italy. Hermione was still a threat.

He waited until they were stopped at a red light, and looked at her in concern. "Is something wrong?"

She looked him in the eyes, and without the hint of a lie she said, "Nothing is wrong. I just have a lot on my mind now."

"I love you. Thank you for coming with me," he muttered, kissing her hand.

"I love you, too," she smiled at him before returning to her gaze out the windshield.

At that moment he would give anything to have Edward's ability.


	43. A Wedding and a Grim Decision

**A/N: Hey, everyone. I want to dedicate this chapter to the brilliant and wonderful fakeituntilyoumakeit, who made me an awesome banner, which can be found at (no spaces):**

**: / www. polyvore .com/ banner _hunter_ hunted/ set ?id =32811267**

**Thanks again! You rock! And pushed me to get this chapter out even quicker. Enjoy!**

"I'm telling you that you will do fine," Alice sighed, sounding annoyed.

"You don't know that for sure!" Jasper protested. "If one of us makes a snap decision..."

"Nothing will go wrong with this wedding, I assure you."

There was a showdown after the argument, with Jasper and Alice both staring at each other, each dressed in their outfits for Bella and Edward's wedding, which Jasper was trying to convince the tiny vampire that it was a bad idea for him and Hermione to attend.

"You have to see it from his point of view," Hermione said gently. "It's been much more difficult for him than it has for me."

"You have both hunted until you feel you couldn't drink another drop," Alice pointed out. "I will be able to tell if something is going wrong and get you out of there, and there will always be someone from our family close enough to you to help stop you if I'm not close enough. They'll be keeping an eye on you, nothing will go wrong. All I ask is that you try to come, but if you're uncomfortable I can't make you stay."

"I think we could try. Jasper?"

"I'll try, but you're going to have to explain if I disappear faster than a blink of an eye."

"I will. Now smile, and act nice. The Denalis are here, and I have to finish getting Bella ready."

With that she disappeared up the stairs, and the sounds of Carlisle and Esme warmly greeting the Denali clan came from outside. Hermione and Jasper both straightened up as the front door opened.

"Rosalie, Emmett, great to see you again," a Spanish-tinged accent sounded from just around the corner. "How are you?"

"Wonderful," Rosalie answered with a hint of venom in her voice.

"Great," Emmett replied sincerely. "Come on, I know you want to meet our newest 'family members'."

Carmen and Eleazar were the first around the corner, both looking apprehensive, followed by Kate and Tanya, who were looking more curious. For a moment neither side spoke as they seemingly sized each other up. Finally Carmen stepped forward towards Hermione.

"Bienvenidos a nuestra familia, Hermione," she said softly, as they each kissed the other's cheeks. "Carlisle and Esme speak very highly of you, say that you have taken the transition quite well."

"They are very kind," Hermione responded. "May I introduce my mate, Jasper?"

"Bienvenidos, Jasper," she smiled, kissing his cheek.

"Gracias," he smiled back.

Eleazar took Hermione's hand to give it a quick kiss. "Such power. There is little surprise that you have become somewhat of a legend in our world."

"I didn't know word had gotten around so fast," Hermione replied.

"Whispers, as I'm sure Aro wished. Whispers usually do little more than enhance the legend of those behind them, though I'm wondering how enhanced those whispers are when they concern you."

"What do they whisper?" Jasper asked.

"I spoke a few months back to a nomad, who heard stories of a vampire who could control fire and deal death with a flick of their hand. A ruthless killer that none could escape from."

Jasper snorted, "How they've enhanced my mate's legend. She is the newfound compassion in the Volturi."

Eleazar's attention turned back to Hermione, and as he spoke he looked her directly in the eye. "There is no compassion in that group. Only the most skilled group of manipulators on the planet, hungry for power and greedy for talent only because, deep down, those at the top fear the loss of the power they've strived so hard to achieve and keep. It is best to keep your distance, lest you lose yourself."

She looked back, rethinking the warning before Carlisle interrupted her thoughts by saying, "Eleazar, my friend, perhaps now is not the time for such speeches. Hermione and Jasper have not fully severed their ties, they merely took a leave so they could discover our lifestyle, and have not expressed interest in making any permanent choices anytime soon."

"My apologies," he said, with no hint of regret in his voice. "Now, where is Alice? She will be upset if we do not say hello."

"Upstairs. I'll take you to her," Esme smiled, leading Carmen and Eleazar up the stairs.

"Don't mind him," Tanya said stepping forward with Kate to greet Hermione and Jasper. "He tends to dwell on the past at times."

"Everyone is entitled to their opinions," Hermione smiled back, trying to feel friendly despite the growing pit in her stomach.

"His opinions can tend to border on the melodramatic at times, especially when it comes to the Italians. Perhaps a fear that they have long memories."

"Perhaps he just forgot that this is supposed to be a happy occasion," Kate smirked. "We get to watch Edward settle down and meet new family members all at the same time."

"Do you not consider Bella a family member?" Hermione asked in curiosity.

"Of course we do. Of course, will we consider her much... closer when Edward finally changes her," Tanya replied.

"That part has been somewhat worrisome," Kate nodded. "Especially since their little run-in with you a while back. I'm sure Aro had his opinions."

"When has Aro not had an opinion?" Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I'm sure one could count the times on one hand."

"If you're done with the chatter, there are still chairs to set up!" Alice's voice called from upstairs. "And the first guests will be arriving in twenty-three minutes, so if you could finish that up..." she trailed off, making the statement sound more like a threat. And because no one was willing to anger Alice that day they all hurried outside, where Amir was busying himself clearing the leaves and making sure the landscaping looked perfect.

"Shall I?" Hermione asked, pulling out her wand.

"We would like to see it," Carmen nodded, a hint of excitement in her voice.

Hermione waved her wand at the stack of folded chairs, and they moved quickly through the air, setting themselves up at the tables scattered around the outside of the dance floor. Another wave and they were covered in crisp, white linens. A third wave and the linens were secured in delicate gold-colored bows. As a final touch a group of lanterns appeared, affixing themselves to the trees, ready to light the outer parts of the wedding once the sun had gone down.

"Excuse me," she said as the group set to finishing the centerpieces. She excused herself to a room where Edward was sitting, studying his vows.

"Come in," he smiled at her as she gently knocked on the door frame.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, taking a seat across from him.

"Happier than I have in a while," he nodded.

"That's good," she smiled, biting her lip.

"Is something on your mind?"

"I was just thinking that Bella was very much against this wedding, so why put her through this whole thing?"

"I thought it was the proper way of doing things. And to erase any doubts I had that she was craving immortality more than me."

"But you don't have that reservation anymore," she pointed out.

"It's still the proper way of doing things."

"It's proper to marry someone before you turn them into one of us?" she asked with a hint of bitterness in her voice.

"Jasper is still after you for a proper wedding, isn't he?"

"I think he and I are in a good place with that," she lied, silently thanking Merlin for her ability to mentally block him.

"I think the wedding is more important to Bella than she is willing to admit. It's something for her parents, her friends, and a way to exit this stage of her life in a way that celebrates everyone who has gotten her to this point. Or, at least most of them," he added, referring to Jacob, who Charlie was still desperately searching for. "I think your hesitancy stems from the fact that you are more connected to the outside world than Jasper is. He has his family he sees every ten years, but he is by no means close to them. You, on the other hand, have friends with whom you have an even stronger bond than some have with their families. It would feel wrong for you to exclude them on such a symbolic day. Yes, they know you and Jasper have become a package deal for eternity, but that doesn't diminish the meaning of wedding in their eyes. You would feel guilty having a wedding without them there, but right now you're too worried about your transition and where you stand with the Volturi to think about planning and holding a wedding."

"Are you sure you're not reading my mind right now?" she smiled.

"Sometimes reading people is easier than you think."

"I wanted to wish you luck today."

"Thank you. And I don't just mean for attending."

"It really was nothing. Don't mention it," she said, giving him a hug before slipping from the room. Her next stop was in the bathroom where Bella was waiting, breathing heavily, eyes closed as she tried to deal with the chaos going on around her.

"May I come in?" Hermione asked.

Bella looked up in surprise before nodding.

"I wanted to give you something, and I didn't think it would be appropriate to do so at the wedding with all the Muggles around."

"You don't have to..." she started protesting.

"It would be a waste if I didn't," she said, reaching into a pocket and pulling out a small box. She placed the box into Bella's outstretched hand and carefully opened the lid. Inside were a miniature hand-carved version of Edward and Bella, Edward in a tux, Bella in her wedding dress, rotating slowly together as Bella's Lullabye softly played.

"Edward told me it was the song he wrote for you," Hermione said as Bella stared at the tiny figurines. "I had Jasper carve the figures, then I made him forget what your dress looked like so it didn't get out to Edward."

"It's beautiful," Bella breathed, fighting a tear forming in her eye. "Thank you."

"I know things have been tense between us, that you don't totally trust me, and I understand that. I just want you to know that if there's anything you need, you can come to me."

"I will," she nodded, but Hermione knew she was still apprehensive.

"Good luck today," she stood and placed a hand on her shoulder, the only place she dared touch for fear of messing something up and angering Alice. Without another word she walked out of the room, mentally preparing for the influx of humans that would start arriving shortly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Several weeks later Hermione and Jasper were in the middle of a game of Risk. Emmett was watching them with interest during his breaks from studying Arabic. Both being former warriors the game took much longer than usual, sometimes the better part of an hour would pass before one would make a move. Edward said it was thrilling to listen to them, at least Jasper but Hermione when she would let him. It was as though they ran through every possible outcome of their moves, then anticipated moves from their opponent at least five turns in advance. Their styles were different- Jasper preferred a more aggressive approach while Hermione was more cautious, using weaker targets to take out armies, and Edward said it was akin to listening to two generals planning a real war.

Neither of them noticed when Carlisle took a phone call. But they did notice when he returned from his study, looking grave and concerned. Alice was close behind, but she grabbed Amir from his perch strumming a guitar and pulled him outside.

"What's wrong?" Emmett asked, drawing Hermione and Jasper's attention away from the game.

"Edward and Bella are returning from their honeymoon on short-notice. It seems there is a bit of an emergency."

"Emergency?" Jasper asked.

"It would appear that Bella is pregnant."

The group sat in stunned silence for a moment.

"Pregnant?" Emmett repeated several tense seconds later. "By Edward?"

Hermione shot him a look that clearly said 'stupid question'."

"Yes," Carlisle nodded.

"I didn't think that was possible," he frowned.

"I've heard about this type of situation, and it never bodes well for the mother. They die before the child is born, and the child goes with them. I've never heard of one making it to term."

There was another silence as the gravity of the situation settled in, then Hermione asked, "What are you going to do?"

"Edward is quite set on terminating the pregnancy, as it seems there are already some complications, but it seems Bella may be a little reluctant to go that route."

"What kind of complications?"

"Unnatural growth rate, for the most part. She's only five days late on her cycle, but she's already showing and experiencing signs most women don't develop for weeks."

Jasper caught Hermione's eye and nodded towards the door. They excused themselves and ran through the woods until they were in a spot where they were sure they would not be overheard.

"What do you think about the situation?" Jasper asked.

"I think that it's Bella's choice what to do, though I am concerned she's destined to meet the same fate as the other mothers," Hermione replied.

"Do you think we should tell Aro?"

"I think if we do Bella will not have a choice. They would more likely come to destroy the fetus, Bella, and Edward if they found out about this. They don't like to take chances, and all I could do would be to attempt to save the rest of the Cullens."

Jasper paused, then muttered, "If she does manage to carry it to term, what do you suppose it'll be like?" He formed the question as if he were already sure of the answer.

"An immortal child," she replied.

"And you know the consequences of what would happen if we allow an immortal child to survive in our presence."

"Even my favorable standing will not save us. We'd have to flee our fight, and it is all but certain the Cullens would be destroyed."

"What do you propose our plan of action should be?"

She thought about it for a moment. "I'm sure there will be a family conference about it when Edward and Bella return. Without giving up too much, we should stress termination as a means to save Bella."

"And if she still refuses?"

She looked pained, but determined as she replied, "We will watch the child closely, but if it is indeed like a Immortal Child we have no choice. The Cullens are good people. I will not risk their lives over this child. They are no match for both of us, especially if Edward is preoccupied attempting to save Bella's life. We only need to get past them long enough to destroy the thing. We may lose our friends, and we will most certainly have to leave, but hopefully one day they'll realize we did it to save their lives."

Before departing they agreed to keep their conversation between themselves, and Hermione performed a bit of complicated magic to lock the thought away from Edward when he returned. After a few moments to concoct a story of what they had been discussing as a cover-up they made their way back to the house to await Bella's return.


	44. Ties

**A/N: Again, I owe you all an apology. As you may remember, I had a little one on the way, and for those of you who read A Twist of Fate you'll know that my second daughter arrived into this world nearly three months ago (I cannot believe it's been that long). Despite some complications she and I are both now healthy and happy, and I have a couple of beautiful daughters that are taking up most of my time and energy. But now that the baby is starting to consistantly sleep through the night, and goes down before I'm ready to, I have had a bit of time to write, and so I'm trying to get things updated.**

**I know a lot of you were thinking "WTF- why are you bringing the baby into this?". I'll admit that I think Breaking Dawn was an anti-climactic book, and I didn't like it much at all. So, I'm doing my twist on things. Hopefully after this chapter you'll realize why I brought Nessie into this. I solemnly swear that I will bring no squicky baby-imprinting into this, though. The role of Jacob and the wolves will be minimal from here on out.**

**Since I haven't said it in a while- I own nothing. JK Rowling and Stephanie Meyer wrote it, I'm just toying with it.**

**Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

Trying to convince Bella to abort the baby had been an exercise in futility. The group had escalated into a full-blown argument that only settled down when Hermione, Jasper, and Amir left to cool off with a hunt. Hermione went off on her own to try to sort out her own feelings. Jasper was pushing very hard to try to convince the family to give Bella no choice, but Hermione was loathe to force a decision upon someone, even if she felt their decision would eventually cost them their life.

She had hunted quickly, then spent the sunset hours sitting on a cliff face, looking out over the ocean, trying to sort out her options and make a decision as to how to proceed now that she knew Bella was going to try to keep the baby. The easiest scenario was also the most devastating to the family, that the fetus would kill Bella and die without it's mother. The most likely seemed to be that the baby would wind up killing Bella in childbirth. In either case Edward had already approached her about killing him, he didn't feel like he could live without Bella, and that the baby would be in his family's capable hands without him. There was a slim chance that Bella might be saved by a transformation just after giving birth, and Hermione was secretly hoping that was the case, as she didn't want to have to kill Edward and leave the Cullens.

The most problematic thought was that of the baby. As it was already feeding off a human life it seemed most likely that it was going to be a killer. And a fast-growing one at that. She was curious as to what would happen with the child, wanted to study it, but if it was going to kill she had no option but to destroy the thing. Her life, and the life of all the Cullens, depended on her ability to get rid of the thing quickly and before anyone from Italy could find out. Aro had already called her asking when she thought Bella might be turned, and she had played it off as though she was sure that she and Edward were just enjoying a few days doing what comes naturally to newlyweds before the change happened and she'd be uninterested in that little activity for a few years. He had chuckled, agreed with her, and dismissed her after extracting a promise that she'd call the moment Bella was changed.

She and Jasper knew they were all but cutting their ties to the Volturi by not telling them about the pregnancy. Something of this magnitude would not be secret for long, and by not killing Bella the moment she returned to Forks they would be seen as condoning the pregnancy. They might be spared if they were to kill the baby afterwards, but the moment the Volturi found out about the pregnancy Edward and Bella, and probably all the Cullens, would be marked for death.

"Hey," Alice murmured, sliding down a rock to come to a seat next to her. "Penny for your thoughts."

"You can afford much more than a penny," she replied lightheartedly.

Alice responded with a smile before she joined Hermione in staring out at the distant waves. "I can't see it, you know."

"And you can't see Bella, either."

"It scares me. I'm not used to not being able to see. Except for the pack, of course, but I don't really want to be watching them."

"I'm scared. I'm afraid that this is going to be the end of our family in one way or another. I'm afraid that you're going to have to do something drastic to save us, but that Rosalie and Emmett are going to drive you off after that."

"I'll do what I must to save your family. And I'll leave peacefully afterwards if that's what they wish of me."

"Rosalie might not give you the choice of it being peaceful or not."

"Talk to her. Try to make it peaceful, if it must come to that. I don't want to hurt her, but if she attacks me you know Jasper and Emmett will join in, and I give no promises if it comes to a fight."

Alice swallowed and watched a ship moving across the horizon. "Something big is going to happen," she whispered. "I can't see it, but I can feel it."

"What do you think it might be?"

"I honestly think it has something to do with the Volturi. I've been watching them because of you, and I can tell they're nervous. You've placated them with phone calls and friendly correspondence, but the fight with the newborns reminded them of what a powerful rogue they have on their hands. They think you took down all twenty with minimal help from us, that you managed to keep us all alive. They don't know about the wolves, I don't think they'd be waiting much longer if they knew."

"You think they're going to find out about the baby, and come over for us?"

"It would be the first bet I took that I'm not one-hundred percent sure that I would win, but I would be willing to bet on that."

"But it's going to have nothing to do with the baby, and much to do with me."

"There have been whispers that you've become a threat."

Hermione pulled the Volturi pendant from under her shirt, and with a soft snap pulled it from around her neck. She held it in her hand, staring at it for a long moment. "I went as a newborn," she scoffed. "I went because I didn't want to be a monster. I wanted my transformation to mean something, even if it was becoming the police of our own kind. I knew I didn't belong there after a while, I saw Aro's gifts for what they were- bribes. But I stayed, partly because I didn't want to cause problems, partly because I didn't know where else to go. The blind devotion to Aro… I wasn't effected by Chelsea. I should have seen past everything, especially after I learned she was controlling all of them. And now I'm conflicted. I've made friends there, but I have little choice. Either I fight with you or against you, my third option is to run, which is condemning your family to slaughter and will keep Jasper and I moving for the rest of our existence, trying to keep a step ahead of them. This is it. I have to choose my loyalty."

She weighed the pendant in her hand, then closed her eyes and threw it as far as she could into the darkening water, not even seeing where it landed.

"Jasper is going to be happy," Alice said with a half-smile.

"He's been wanting this for a while. Under different circumstances, of course, but for a while. I'll admit that it is liberating."

"Now what with Bella?"

"I may not be part of the Volturi anymore, but I have no choice. For the good of the people who live around here, if the baby is a killer and can't be kept from killing I will not wait for the Volturi to catch wind of it and come to destroy the family. Even if it's the end of our ties with you, my last gift will be to keep you from getting slaughtered."

"If they come, I know what I must do. I know I must do what I can to save our family. It won't be the same as what you can do, I know it won't be as much as what you can do, but I have to do what I can. And I know that you'll do what you can. In that case, remember this place. We both may have to go away for a while, but I'm sure we'll get back together."

"Hopefully when all this is done, your family will still be intact."

"Our family," Alice corrected in a chirp, then she stood. "We should probably get back. Jasper is getting nervous. You've been gone quite a long time, and he thinks you're mad at him."

"I guess I should go give him the news," she replied, climbing up the cliff face behind Alice, and following her towards the house. Jasper was waiting outside, pacing in front of the garage, and looked up nervously as she approached. Alice went inside, shutting the door behind them. Hermione waved her wand, casting a Muffliato to keep their words private.

"I'm sorry," he started.

"For what?" she asked.

"For disagreeing with you."

"Don't apologize, and for the love of Merlin don't turn into one of those men who feel they can't disagree with their wives," she smiled, allowing him to wrap his arms around her.

"You disappeared. I was afraid you were mad at me."

"I wasn't. I just had to think."

"About what?"

In response she pulled back her shirt to show that she was only wearing the necklace he gave her.

"Where is your pendant?" he asked.

"I felt little need to wear a pendant for an organization I am no longer a part of."

His face lit up, and he grabbed her around the waist and spun her around, holding her tightly to him. When he put her down his lips crashed into hers with an intensity she hadn't felt from him in months.

"I would have quit a while ago if I had known this would be the reception," she chuckled.

"You have no idea how happy this makes me."

"Yes I do. You're an empath."

He laughed, pulling his own pendant off. When he made to crush it in his palm she stopped him.

"I may need that later, if the time comes," she said.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The birth was sudden, and happened on a day Hermione and Jasper were meeting up with Peter and Charlotte in Portland. They were notified via text while the four of them were sitting in a park, reminiscing.

_It's coming,_ the text read.

"Oh, no," Hermione said showing her phone to Jasper.

"We have to go," Jasper said, standing up quickly.

"What is it?" Charlotte asked, looking confused.

"Something we must deal with," he replied. They had not told Peter and Charlotte about Bella's pregnancy, fearing that it would put them in danger if they found out.

Somehow Peter seemed to sense the danger in the situation, and he placed a hand on Jasper's arm to stop them from leaving. "Are you going to be safe?"

"Our safety is what we are hoping to secure right now."

"Will Charlotte and I be safe?"

"As long as you ask no questions."

"We are always here for you, my friend. I do not forget how you did not come after us when we ran. We are in your debt, for if you came after us we would not be here today."

"Hopefully that is a debt you'll never need to repay. We must go."

"Keep us informed," he nodded, letting Jasper's arm go. Hermione grabbed his hand, and Apparated into the living room of the large house. Upstairs she could hear a frantic fight for Bella's life. Rosalie was cradling a swaddled bundle and being shielded by Emmett, who was in a defensive stance. Jasper was mirroring the stance, and Hermione immediately pulled her wand and aimed it at Emmett.

"I will render you unable to move if you do so much as blink," she warned. "We must see it."

"She isn't a danger," Rosalie protested as Carlisle appeared at the top of the stairs, covered in blood.

"I have to make the determination of that. For all our safety," she added towards Carlisle and Esme. "And I would prefer to do so without harming anyone."

"I promise not to harm her if she's not a threat."

Rosalie considered this for a long moment. "Leave Jasper."

"Leave Emmett," Hermione shot back.

The two men glared at each other for a long moment, then they each relaxed their stance and took a few steps back. Hermione and Rosalie matched each other's steps forward, Rosalie clutching the bundle tightly to her chest.

"Look," Rosalie said, shifting the bundle just enough that Hermione caught a glimpse of a face, a pair of chocolate brown eyes looking at her with more interest than a newborn should muster.

"Not good enough," Hermione said. "I must get the full picture."

"The fact that she's not up killing Bella isn't proof enough for you?"

"She's surrounded by people who can stop her from killing Bella. No, it is not proof. I must determine this for myself."

"Let her show you," Rosalie said, reluctantly holding the bundle out to Hermione, who cradled it with the care she did with any of her friend's children. The baby looked up at her for a couple seconds, then seemingly reached up to brush her hand against Hermione's cheek.

Immediately Hermione was inundated with images of the baby's short life, from being torn from Bella's womb and seeing her mother covered in blood and seemingly dying upstairs, to a quick glimpse of her father, desperately trying to save his wife, and Carlisle doing a check to see if everything was okay with her. Then Carlisle handed her to Rosalie, who showed her to Bella before Bella went limp, and Rosalie brought her downstairs. Then there was a loud crack, and a peek of two people seemingly appearing out of thin air, and Hermione realized she was watching her own arrival from the baby's perspective.

"You are quite remarkable, aren't you, little one?" Hermione found herself asking.

She saw her own wand come into focus through the baby's thoughts.

"My wand," Hermione whispered. "You must tell me, if you can, what you want to eat."

Another image of her biting Bella, and the feeling of her sweet blood running over her tongue.

Hermione cringed. "We must not hurt people. Do you understand that?"

The baby just continued to look at her curiously.

"Are we feeding her blood?" Hermione asked the room.

"Amir is off collecting some from an animal, hopefully a bear. She probably won't like it at first, but we must get her to get used to it," Rosalie answered.

"Do you think you can do that…"

"Renesmee," Esme said her name.

"Renesmee. Can you learn to live off animal blood, and not hurt humans?"

Renesemee blinked, then smiled.

Hermione turned to Jasper, looking up from the baby in amazement. "You must see this for yourself," she whispered.

Jasper came forward and collected the baby. "You are quite the troublemaker already, aren't you?" he murmured.

The baby touched his face, and his jaw opened in surprise as Renesmee showed him her gift. Jasper looked up at Hermione in shock, then back down at Renesmee.

"The scars are from fighting, young one," he said before a pause. "I know they are unsightly, but we all have things we must do to survive." Another pause. "Hermione? She is fair." He looked up at Hermione with a smile. "She makes me happy, too, little one."

"This is… incredible," Hermione whispered as Jasper handed Renesmee back to her. She conjured up a bottle, reached into her bag and pulled out a phial of dragon blood, which poured itself into the bottle, multiplying as it fell until the bottle was full. She offered it to Renesmee, who eagerly took a few sucks before spitting it out. She reached up and showed Hermione the scene of her biting Bella again.

"I'm sorry, beautiful girl, but we mustn't harm people," Hermione cooed, offering the bottle again, which Renesmee took begrudgingly.

"Well?" Carlisle asked.

"As long as we can keep her on the animal blood, I don't see why we would need to harm her," Hermione replied. She handed the baby back to an anxious looking Rosalie, who took her and the bottle and disappeared into the next room.

A thought occurred to Hermione, who looked up at Carlisle. "Bella?" she asked.

"Stable," he replied.

Hermione climbed the stairs, motioning for Jasper to stay where he was, afraid of how Edward might react if they both came into the room Bella was staying in. She stowed her wand before entering, and found a bloody mess, Edward standing next to Bella's body, the only indication that she was still alive a faint heartbeat.

Edward couldn't say anything. He looked up at Hermione, watching for any hostile movements, but Hermione moved slowly and deliberately to his side.

"You have a beautiful daughter," she murmured, and joined him in his silent vigil over his wife.


	45. The Beginning of the End

**A/N: From here on out this story is going to get a little heavy, and therefore a bit more difficult to write, but I'll try to update as often as possible (especially considering I've only got the Epilogue of A Twist of Fate). Thanks to everyone who has stuck with me through this, I solemnly swear it will not end with any kind of talking-out.**

After a few weeks, and seeing how quickly Renesmee was growing, Hermione allowed herself to start to hope that the young girl would grow so quickly that she would soon be easily mistakable for a woman who had lived a normal lifespan, and therefore would not garner any attention from her former group for being an immortal child. But she knew the day that Alice had her vision, even before the vase hit the floor, that it was not to be. She didn't need to hear Alice and Edward giving a rundown of what was going on, she didn't need to hear the frantic reactions of the... of _her_ family. She looked across the room at Jasper, who had been playing a video game, to find he was looking at her, and instantly she knew his train of thought was similar to her own. And when Alice disappeared into the woods to 'get away from everything' she excused herself to collect her own thoughts, wandered in the opposite direction, and then Apparated back to where Alice had said to meet one day, and was unsurprised to see the tiny vampire awaiting her.

"You're leaving," Hermione said, and it wasn't a question.

"There might be a way, but we'd have to go now," Alice replied.

"Without telling them?" she asked.

"They need to prepare like this isn't going to work."

"They need to prepare without a safety net."

"Exactly."

"Alice, tell me what you see," she asked, surprised at the pleading in her voice.

"It's over. For all of us."

She exhaled. "Including...?" she started, but she knew the answer before even asking the question.

"You've known for some time he'd willingly die protecting you. Is it much of a surprise that you lose some of your fight after?"

She was silent, thoughts racing. Perhaps if she and Jasper ran, far enough away, and then made their whereabouts known to draw them away...

"They'll kill us anyways, though you would survive longer, maybe you'd manage to get away with it if you slipped into the wizarding world and never came out. As far as they know, we've broken the law with Renesmee, but our true sin has been turning our loyalty towards you, taking you into our family. They don't want any chance leaving us alive for you to return to. You, Edward, and I on the same opposing team is a terrifying thought to them."

"If it's over, why go?"

"I want them to have only one reason to destroy us, and that is that they are afraid of you. They're bringing witnesses, but the witnesses may be their eventual downfall. If they see through their ruse they can disperse and tell others. The Volturi's credibility will be shot. They will be seen as vindictive, frightened, and vulnerable. A martyr is someone who helps the cause more dead than alive."

"And that martyr would be me?"

"Your death could unite the vampire and wizarding communities against the Volturi. You have enough friends in the Volturi who have agreed to come punish you for being complacent in the making of an immortal child, and they will not fight Aro, Caius and Marcus in the heat of the moment, but there would be whispers after that perhaps bounds were overstepped. These are the ones with enough experience to continue the Volturi's original mission once those who care only about power are gone, so our world won't dissolve totally into chaos."

"So we fight," she whispered.

"And we die. And that's probably what's best."

"When?"

"New Years Eve," she whispered.

"Happy holidays," she said dryly.

"Amir and I have to go. He's already waiting for me. We're going to be cutting it close as is."

"Good luck, then."

"You, too. I'll see you here."

They hugged quickly, Hermione watched as Alice turned and ran off through the woods. She stood for a while, thinking. Her skills were legendary, but they would not save her. She found some solace in the idea that she and Jasper would be leaving the world very close to one another, but suddenly their years together didn't seem nearly long enough. She had been expecting centuries, and she was looking at less time than her mortal friends. Harry had been begging her to come back for Christmas, something she was unsure if she'd be stable enough to do, but now would she be able to go? If she did, would she tell him the truth? Would she pretend as if nothing were wrong, and possibly send a note that wouldn't get there until after the battle so he knew what had happened?

Harry had been through too much in his life to lose another friend so suddenly and unexpectedly. It would kill him to know that she was going to die soon. He would try to find a way to go, to fight with her, and she would make sure he'd stay as far away as possible. She owed it to Harry, and probably Draco, to make the trip back to England one last time. She owed it to Jasper to spend the last of their time together in a happy environment. And perhaps the Cullens would surprise her with their improvisation if they thought that their two best, most experienced fighters had left. Or would the thought that Alice had run as soon as she could make them realize that all hope was lost?

"Penny for your thoughts," a voice behind her whispered, and she turned slowly and to face Jasper, his stoic face unable to hide the anxious feelings radiating from him.

"That I should have married you the moment you asked," she whispered back the first thought that came to her.

"There will be time for that..." he started, a hint of hope in his voice, but it fell as she found herself unable to respond other than a solitary shake of her head. He crossed the clearing to take her into his arms, and she collapsed against him, overcome with the thought that so many she loved were about to die for the sin of associating with her.

"Everyone?" he whispered after a few moments of silence.

"Yes."

"She's sure?" he asked of Alice.

"Nothing is totally certain with her, but as it is everyone will die."

"If we run?"

"We extend our lives, she wasn't clear how long, but they die just the same."

"We can't leave them here," he said in assent to a statement she didn't have to make.

"I know. But they may be stronger if they think we have."

"You want to leave?"

"I want to see Harry one more time."

"Then we will. What do we say to them?"

"Nothing. We'll make it seem as though we're trying to save them by drawing the Volturi away from them. But you saw me speaking to Alice, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did."

"Give Edward enough of a hint that when he realizes that she's gone, he'll assume we've abandoned them as well. They'll fight, but they overestimate my abilities. They may see me as a crutch, and I do not want them to think they have it."

"So we'll have to make it convincing when we return?"

"We can't give them the chance to question us. They have to believe it, which means we have to sell it to Edward most of all."

They hatched a plan while walking back to the house through the woods, but it nearly fell apart when they entered the house. Renesmee ran up to Hermione, holding a drawing she had done of her making a rainbow-colored bouquet appear from the end of her wand.

"For you, Aunt Hermione," she smiled.

"It's beautiful," Hermione whispered, taking the picture.

Renesmee reached out to her, placing a hand on her face. She replayed a conversation between the adults as to what their plans were- it seemed like Esme, Carlisle, Rosalie, and Emmett were all going to take off and try to find other vampires to come and stand with them, hoping a show of force might cause the Volturi to take pause long enough to try to listen to reason. Hermione tried to not look pained or terrified at the fate of their youngest family member.

"Times are tough, young one," she whispered.

She saw a pointed look of herself and Jasper, with a question hanging in the air.

"Whatever happens I want you to remember that Uncle Jasper and I love you very much, and everything we're doing is trying to help you," she murmured. "Please trust it is for the best."

"Paint?" Renesmee asked.

"Not now, there's something we must do," she replied, hugging the girl tightly before standing up and walking to her room, Jasper close behind her. He closed the door, pretending to accidentally not close it well, and they both pretended not to notice when it slipped open a crack, rendering the silencing charms around the room useless.

"We don't have enough time, Hermione," Jasper whispered.

"We have enough to get far enough away," she replied, starting to pack.

"Do you think they'll take the bait? Knowing it is you?"

"It's the best thing I can think of."

"We condemn them if we do this," he hissed.

"They're condemned either way. Aro has lost his control of the group, and now he is going out of control. If we go south, rile things up a little, make our whereabouts known and create a situation that they cannot ignore, perhaps they will be distracted long enough for Renesmee to grow and prove she is not what they think."

"Do you think that's going to stop them?"

"Do you have a better idea?"

"No," he admitted as she started putting things in a second suitcase. "Other than stay and fight."

"I can't do that," she whispered. "I know where it leads. I can't watch you die," she said, telling a complete truth.

"Even knowing you're going right behind me?"

"I can't."

He took her in his arms. "I love you," he murmured into her hair. "But I love them, too. They're going to know we abandoned them."

"We're trying to save them."

"You know Aro. Think of the chances that's going to happen."

"I'm giving them the best chance I can. If we create enough of a problem perhaps they'll see reason once I'm dead."

"How much time do you think we're buying them?"

"If Aro takes the bait? I think we can string them along for a year, maybe two."

"If he doesn't?"

"He'll be here at the same time. We'll just be somewhere else with a giant mess on our hands. Which I'll probably make double out of spite."

"There's no way to outrun them forever."

"I'm not hoping to do that. I'd be surprised if I'm alive in two years. I'm just hoping they are."

He was silent for a moment as she finished packing their things. "Do we say goodbye?" he asked as she shrunk the suitcases and put them in her beaded bag.

"There's no way to do that without tipping them off. Edward would know."

She looked up into his eyes, then took one more look around the room before taking his hand and Apparating away.

Downstairs the group looked at each other, stunned.

"Did they just say...?" Bella whispered, holding Renesmee tightly to her.

"They did," Emmett said, for once with nothing witty to say.

In unison the group looked at Edward for confirmation.

"It's true," Edward whispered. Jasper had been watching Hermione and Alice talking, and Alice was not confident about their chances of survival. But Jasper had been playing the abridged version of their meeting in his head, clouded by his concern for Hermione, and Edward desperately wanted to hear about the whole thing.

"Then the situation has just become more serious. They may be trying to buy us time, but we cannot count on that. We must go, now," Carlisle said.

"You can't let them do that to themselves!" Bella cried.

"They're trying to give us a chance," Rosalie snapped.

"They're getting themselves killed!"

"It's a sacrifice. To try to save us."

"Do you think it's going to work?" Esme asked quietly.

"Only Alice could tell us, and I don't know where she is," Edward replied.

All eyes turned towards Renesmee. Hermione and Jasper may have run off, but that was no guarantee that they were going to be safe. But with any luck, they'd have just enough time to prove they did nothing wrong.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They landed in the middle of the rain-soaked square outside of Grimmauld Place without so much as a whisper. Hermione paused at the rusty gate, gazing into the flickering light of the sitting room.

"Are you going to tell him?" Jasper asked.

"I have to," she replied. "He deserves to know."

She walked up to the front door and knocked three times before letting herself in.

"Anyone home?" she called up the stairs, knowing well that Harry was in the sitting room, while Ginny was just tucking James into bed.

"Hermione," Harry appeared almost immediately. He rushed down the stairs and wrapped her in a tight hug. "I didn't expect to see you for months, if not a year," he smiled.

"Something came up," she replied, trying not to look grim but failing.

"What's wrong, Hermione?" he asked, suddenly worried.

"Perhaps it's best if you sit down," she replied. "And wait for Ginny."

Harry made no attempt at moving. "What's going on, Hermione?" he demanded.

"Something big," she replied honestly.

"How big?"

"As big as it can get, at least for me."

"Are you going to be alright?"

She looked into his eyes, then whispered, "No."

"How not-alright..."

"I came back to say goodbye, Harry."

The color drained from his face. "Like goodbye, goodbye?"

"My family is in trouble. I won't let them die without fighting for them, even if it means I'm dying with them."

"I thought I was your family."

"You are. And I would die for you, too..."

"But you won't live for me?"

"You walked to Voldemort thinking you were going to die. I'm standing up to the Volturi..."

"The Volturi? Aren't you in league with them?"

"Please. Let's sit down, and I'll tell you everything."

Harry seemed to be gaining a year of age with every step he was taking towards the sitting room. By the time he sat down he could pass for fifty. Ginny came in, confused, and Hermione started explaining everything. She showed them several pictures of Renesmee, explaining how she grew so fast and about her power. She told them about immortal children, and how harshly they were dealt with and the strict law against them. Finally she ended by telling them that the Volturi had been given a gift, someone testifying that her family, including herself, had decided to break the law. Instead of giving her considerations due to her position with them, that position was ensuring that her family had no chance at explaining things, and that the events would end in their massacre.

"I'm going to be there," Harry said firmly when she finished talking.

"I knew you'd say that, and I'm refusing to let you come near," she replied kindly.

"Hermione, I can't just sit around..."

"Yes, you can. Because you have a family, Harry James Potter. You have two adorable boys, and another one on the way..."

Harry and Ginny gasped in unison, oblivious to the fact that Ginny was pregnant again.

"I can hear its heartbeat, Harry, and I can smell it in her blood, and that child deserves it's father and not some story about how his father ignored every warning and plea from his best friend and went to a certain death. Ginny should not have to raise this brood alone because you made a stupid decision. You are not coming. If you continue to make an issue of this, then I'll be forced to leave."

Harry's hand grabbed hers quickly and held on tight. "Please, don't leave, Hermione. Stay. Stay here. You can hide in our world, you know. They'll never be able to find you."

"It's not as hard as you'd think for one of our kind to penetrate the magical world," she said, looking at Jasper, and remembering how he had managed to steal a wand and wait for her in Diagon Alley without detection so many years before when he was hunting her. "And I can't leave the Cullens to die."

"They can come with. If not here, there are other places. Larger ones. I bet Malfoy would let you have his Manor, it's big enough for your whole family and he and his mother don't use it anymore..."

"So we can live inside the confines of it's grounds like a bunch of prisoners for centuries and hope the Volturi eventually find something better to do?"

"If this girl is growing as fast as you say she is it should only be a few years before you can prove you didn't break any law..."

"They won't care. Edward and Alice are great talents, especially when added to Jasper and I who have the experience in what the Volturi do. Eleazar can find new talent, if we travel around the world and find other vampires we could put together a group to rival the Volturi, and with Edward, Alice and I acting as leaders we would have the advantage. It was okay when Jasper and I were still with them, only visiting the Cullens, but as things seemed to progress to a more permanent arrangement, our bond with them became strained, and Renesmee tipped the scales against us. We've been marked for death. I'm planning on fighting, but Alice doesn't think we'll be able to get enough together to win, and I am a target. Even if they retreat, if I'm dead they have their victory."

"I have to do something, Hermione," he pleaded, tears streaming down his face.

"Then promise me you'll love those children, and remind them how much I love them, how excited I was to get to watch them grow and how I regret I won't be around as they continue their journeys. Love Ginny, as I love Jasper, and cherish every moment you have with her. There won't be anything left of me to bury, but please put a marker by Ron, for both Jasper and I."

Harry hugged her tightly, tears soaking the shoulder of her shirt, and she could hear Jasper trying to console Ginny, but he would not manipulate their emotions.

"I came back because I wanted to see everyone one last time, but please don't tell anyone else what is going to happen. I hate for you to have to break it to them later, but I have to ask you to. I want to leave them with a happy memory of me, and not a bunch of tears and people begging to go with me."

"Are you going to warn any of them?" Ginny asked.

"Draco," she nodded. "He's always carried guilt over my condition, and I want him to realize that I got the happiest years of my life from it, and that I'm going to die next to the man I love and doing what's right, which he'll probably think is my stubborn, compassionate nature."

There was a long pause before Harry asked, "When?"

"The second Thursday of January," she lied. "The holidays are always a big deal in Volterra, and they won't want to miss a minute of their festivities."

"Of course you'll be staying here," Ginny said, sounding like her mother.

"Of course," Hermione smiled. "We'll head up there now and unpack."

She and Jasper left Harry and Ginny clinging to each other, and she cast a silencing spell on the room to give them privacy as they walked up the stairs.

"You lied to them about the date," Jasper murmured as they entered the room Harry always had ready for her, and closed the door behind them.

"I hate doing it, but it's the only way to ensure Harry doesn't try to follow us," she whispered back.

He wrapped his arms around her, and she leaned into his chest, feeling all the energy draining for her. She had plans, things she had to do with their last couple weeks, but tonight she just needed Jasper.


	46. Planning the End

She decided to go alone to the Malfoy's chateau by the beach, where Draco had taken up permanent residence to keep away from the manor he hated and to raise Scorpius. It was late, she knew there was a good chance the youngest resident would be asleep, but she had always had a soft spot for the blonde-haired boy. He was the antithesis of what one would expect from a Malfoy- outgoing, sympathetic, and downright friendly towards all his playmates no matter what their background. Draco and Astoria did a good job raising him, though Scorpius had no qualms about loudly proclaiming his devotion to his vampire-aunt and frequently said that anyone who loves a Muggle-born-witch-turned-vampire can't complain about an others' background.

Knocking on the door she was pleasantly surprised by the sight of the almost seven year-old opening the door and throwing himself into her arms for a bear hug.

"I saw you coming down the drive!" he said excitedly. "Dad said you weren't going to be around for a while, but I told him you always come for Christmas, and here you are."

"Here I am, indeed," she smiled warmly.

"Where's Uncle Jasper?"

"He's away. We had a long trip, he needed some time to recover."

Scorpius frowned. He might be young, but he was quickly catching on to all the euphemisms the adults were using for hunting trips. "Animals, right? You promised animals."

She crouched so she was looking him in the eyes. "Do you think I've had anything else lately?" she asked.

He studied her eyes, and shook his head. "They're golden. But I still want to see Uncle Jasper's. Daddy says I shouldn't trust him as far as I can throw him."

"I'll give you a chocolate frog if you never repeat that in front of Aunt Hermione again," Draco said, appearing with Astoria from their dining room.

"Done!" Scorpius smiled, holding his hand out for his treat.

"Bedtime," Astoria sighed with a look at her husband, then held her hand out for Scorpius to hold onto on the stairs, but he stayed put.

"I want to see Uncle Jasper," he protested.

"Uncle Jasper is going to stay at Grimmauld Place tonight, but I promise we'll stop by in the next few days, and you can start trying to throw him," Hermione said, giving him a hug and kiss goodnight. Reluctantly he took Astoria's hand.

"Do you need me to put him to bed?" Draco asked her.

"No, I'm sure Hermione has something she wishes to talk to you about," Astoria shook her head. "It's late, he'll be asleep quickly, and then I can head to my game night."

"Okay. Have fun," he said, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"You, too. Good night, Hermione."

"Good night, Astoria," Hermione nodded. She and Astoria were cordial with each other, but neither would count the other as a good friend.

"Shall we?" Draco asked, holding an arm out, and he led Hermione into the living room, where they sat on the couch together, Draco sitting on one side facing towards her, she on the other with her feet resting on his leg. At first Astoria was uncomfortable with how physically close to each other they seemed, but her concerns stopped when she saw Hermione and Jasper together, happy and devoted to each other.

"Looks like he finally got a ring on your finger," Draco commented after some small talk about Draco's family and Hermione's newfound 'vegetarianism'. "When's the wedding?"

She held her hand out and looked at the simple ring on her finger. "This was the wedding, so to speak," she muttered.

"Ten years and that's all you get?" he chuckled. "He throws a ring on your finger and gets to call you his wife?"

"First of all, he's been referring to me as his mate for years. Mate, wife, same thing in my book."

"Still, I know you're not the most traditional person, Granger, but you could have at least taken a couple pictures and said some words..."

"I didn't want a wedding," she said quietly. "I thought if I couldn't honor my parents by doing something they would be proud of, then I wouldn't do it at all."

"What would your parents want?"

"Mostly, the people who are most important in my life by my side."

"So why don't you just have one later?"

"I might," she shrugged, looking down and trying to hide the fact that she was biting her lip, but it didn't slip past Draco.

"What's going on?" he asked, sounding very concerned.

"Nothing you should worry about," she replied unconvincingly.

"Hermione..."

She looked up into his eyes, and decided that she had to tell him the truth. "I came to say goodbye, Draco. It's finally happened. They're mad at me, I suspect they have been for a while, and they're going to kill Jasper and I, as well as the family we've been staying with."

Draco stared at her in disbelief for a long minute before his features started to harden, and she knew he was fighting the urge to cry. "When?" he managed.

"We'll be dead before the New Year, though I told Harry later, because I don't want him to come. He'll fight and die, and I don't want to think I'm getting him killed. But I'm the main target, and Jasper is not going to let me die first."

"How can you be sure?"

"Alice, one of the family, has precognitive powers. No matter what we do, we're dead."

His eyes screwed shut, as if being unable to see around him would keep the information from becoming the truth, and a tear escaped. "I really did kill you," he whispered.

"No, you didn't," she said firmly. "I made my choice, several of them, none of which had to do with you. I joined the Volturi. I went along with their promotions and Aro's praise because I didn't want to make waves, and in this I started making my enemies. And when I was given the power I didn't see it as a way to exercise more control over me, instead I made rulings based on what I thought. Had I aligned myself more with their traditions I wouldn't be such a threat. And I chose to go to this new family for guidance with my new lifestyle choices, not knowing that Aro thinks that Alice, Edward and I together are a threat. And I didn't kill Renesmee as soon as she was born, and that's what led me into this."

"Who is Renesmee?"

Hermione took out a picture of the little girl and handed it to him. "She was born just a couple months ago," she told him. "She's a half-vampire, but the Volturi think she's an immortal child, and therefore we all must die."

"But if she's not..."

"They don't care. They have their opportunity to destroy us, and it'll be justified in the eyes of their so-called witnesses. They can't take the risk not to destroy us, bringing everyone and then some witnesses over would look really bad for them if they left without doing anything."

"What can I do?"

"I would love for you to stay as far away as possible, but I really want you to do something for me, and feel free to refuse."

"What?"

"Demetri can't read witches and wizards, and I think the only way we can hide Renesmee is to bring her into the magical world. Would you come, and before the fight breaks out take her and run? Bring her back here, bring her to Harry, Hell, I bet Molly would love to take her in, she's such a wonderful little girl. But take her where they can't get her. It's not her fault she was born into such a situation, and she shouldn't die because of it."

He stared at the picture. "Is she dangerous?"

"No. She prefers to drink blood, but she understands the importance of not drinking from humans. And she's not venomous. She has the most amazing ability, as well, she can tell you anything she wants just with a touch. She grows fast, I doubt it'll be a few years before she is fully grown, though I don't know her lifespan. I doubt she's magical, but she strives to please everyone, and I'm sure she'll do whatever is asked of her."  
"I'd be honored to take her in," he nodded. "Provided Astoria agrees. Will Demetri be able to hunt her down?"

"Take her to Severus, he'll know how to protect her mind from him."

He put a hand on her knee and rubbed it absentmindedly, no longer looking like the arrogant, condescending boy he once was. He was completely vulnerable in that moment, knowing his friend was about to die, and still feeling guilt over her initial transformation. When tears started falling down his cheeks she moved so she was lying against him, her head resting on his shoulder, her arm wrapped around him, and his head dropped onto hers, his arms holding her tightly, knowing their moments like this were numbered.

"I have never wished that I took advantage of a drunk girl as much as I do right now," he murmured, and she couldn't help but chuckle.

"You wouldn't have been able to live with yourself if you had."

"I'm hardly able to live with myself now, Hermione. Every time I see you I wonder. I wonder what you'd look like if you looked like your true age. I wonder how things would be if I hadn't refused you that night. Would we have had a relationship? Gotten married? Had children?"

"Well, you know I would have dated you. I've always had a soft spot for hopeless causes," she muttered against his chest, and he laughed.

"Did you just compare me to spew?"

"S.P.E.W!" she hissed.

"You can spell it all you want, it's still spew."

She sighed loudly.

"Okay, so you would have dated me because I'm a project, and you're Hermione Granger, and if it doesn't need fixing, you'll still try. How do you think it would have come out?"

"I think either I would have wound up marrying you, or killing you for being a pretentious arse."

"You haven't killed me for that yet."

"I haven't ruled it out, though you are a Slytherin, and by definition skilled in the art of self-preservation."

"Okay, so I would have married you to prevent you killing me."

"Though your father probably would have killed you."

"Are you kidding me? What better way for him to seem like he wasn't a biased bastard than becoming the doting father-in-law of the most prominent Muggle-born of our day? He would have been convinced it was a sham on my part, but he'd play along."

"I forgot that your father was more interested in his status than his true feelings. So eloping would have been out?"

"You would have been dragged to the best magical wedding dress designers that money could buy, put into the most gaudy thing you could stomach because you would see something like your wedding dress as trivial and not worth fighting over because you're romantic and would marry someone naked as long as you're in love with them..."

"I most certainly would not marry someone while naked!"

"Okay, but clothes aren't the most important thing to you when it comes to a wedding."

"Hardly."

"My point exactly."

"Okay, so you'd be in some gaudy dress, in some expensive venue, eating food you would never consider eating every day, but you'd be happy because you'd be married and in love and dreaming of a honeymoon in France..."

"Spain."

"Spicy food disagrees with my stomach."

"I'm sure as hell not going to Italy for my honeymoon."

. "Some island somewhere where we could get some privacy, and where you wouldn't mind if I hid all your bikini tops."

"Draco Malfoy!" she sounded scandalized, and playfully swatted him.

"I know you've never been one to have looks as your priority, but you at least have to admit that the view is very nice."

"I've had some improvements," she murmured.

"I liked the old version better."

She sighed, nuzzling a little closer to him. "We would have made it, wouldn't we?"

"If you had never crossed _his_ path, this would be us."

"And I wouldn't have someone out there wanting me dead. I don't know if I remember what that feels like."

"He certainly does have a knack for killing you."

She stood up in a huff. "I know you don't like him, but he's my mate, my husband..."

"Who you won't officially marry."

"Just because I'd rather my wedding _mean_ something to me doesn't mean I won't marry him."

"It's been ten years."

"And I thought I had several lifetimes," she replied quietly.

"You don't. Because _he..._"

"Because he is the man I love, and because I can't see myself living without him, and I'd rather it be over quickly than running and hiding for the rest of my life, constantly wondering if each sunrise is my last, if this is the day they find me, and full of guilt because I let a good family die without doing my best to save them."

He studied her for a moment. "I never understood how someone could be so devoted to the lives of everyone around them while being so careless with their own. It must be a Gryffindor thing. You could have used a little Slytherin in you."

"Is that a casual observation or a sexual reference, ferret?" she snapped, using her nickname for when she was annoyed with him.

He smirked. "There you are. I thought we might have gotten swept away with dreams and ideals there for a minute. Glad to see we're back to ourselves again."

"You may want to re-think the annoying prat persona. It's not becoming."

"I just wanted to remember Hermione as Hermione, and not as 'that vampire I knew'."

She sat back down, resting against him, this time taking his hand and entwining her fingers with his. "You never accepted this as who I was."

"Because it's not. You are one, but that's not who you are."

They sat in silence for a while, then she asked, "May I ask a favor of you?"

"Anything."

"Will you stand up with me when I marry him?"

He sighed and lifted her face to look at his. "You're asking a lot of me..."

"If you don't want to..."

"... but I know how happy he makes you, and how important this is, especially right now. I'll do it, but I'm not wearing a bloody dress."

"Thank you," she whispered, leaning up to kiss his cheek, but he moved at the last second and caught her lips with his. She backed away, startled.

"I've kissed you twice, and I'm not proud of either time. I wanted one that was a good memory."

She bit her lip, then leaned forward so their lips met again. They stayed that way, rigid, for a couple seconds before he slowly led her lips in a dance, pulling her closer to him, bodies moulding together as each was afraid to let the moment end, but eventually having Draco's blood so close became too tempting to Hermione, and she broke their embrace, moving back across the couch until the temptation passed.

"Stay here tonight," he begged softly.

"Draco..." she shook her head.

"Not like that, you're not mine, I know that and I would never ask you to betray the man you just told me you're marrying. It's just that you don't have a lot of time, and you're probably going to be spending it running around and visiting everyone one last time, though knowing you, you're not going to tell them it's the last time. I'll see you, I'll probably be annoying as much as I'm around until you go, but I need some time with just the two of us."

"Okay," she nodded.

They stayed on the couch throughout the night, talking about everything they could. It was when Hermione could hear Scorpius starting to stir that she decided it was time for her to go. Draco walked her to the door and stood on the front step with her as the sun started to rise. She hadn't put a protective charm on her skin, so it started to sparkle as the sunlight hit it, causing dancing beams of light with each of her slightest movements.

"You were so much prettier when this didn't happen," he said, running his fingers over her hand.

"Remember that, then," she replied. "The way you wanted me."

"I already do," he nodded. He kissed her one more time, watched as she placed the charm on her skin that turned it back to it's normal pale color, and watched her every step as she walked down the long drive, looked at him one more time, and was gone.

XXXXXXXXXX

The main sanctuary was dark, the only light streaming in from the pastor's open office door. Father Michael hated having his door closed unless he was busy counseling a parishioner, he always wanted to feel approachable, even at the late hour when he was the only one in the small church building. Many years ago, at the church a few streets down, a Vicar was killed late at night, the killer somehow drained his blood while he was mutilated, and was the killer was still at large. He was young then, not ready to lead his own church, but that was the last night the church doors were left unlocked at night. The neighborhood was nice enough, and nothing happened in the last ten years or so, but that and the brutal killings of his friend, Hermione's, parents had rocked the area and made everyone a little more safety conscious.

He occasionally wondered about Hermione. They had been best friends when they were younger, only friends if truth be told. They were both social outcasts, smarter than the rest of their class, eager to please authority figures, and Hermione's strange ability to have weird things happening around her. He didn't care, it was nice to have a friend, and he was saddened when they were separated at eleven, sent to different boarding schools, but they still had their summers together. He couldn't help but think that Hermione was looking prettier every time he saw her again, though she still seemed to be struggling with her social life, though she had managed to make a few close friends. He had been disappointed when she showed up one summer with a seemingly long-distance boyfriend named Viktor, but there was something else different about her that summer. There was a fear behind her eyes, though she was never willing to talk about what was causing it. The year after she returned with fresh injuries, and he vaguely wondered if this Viktor was beating her up, though her parents assured him that they hadn't seen each other in a while. The next year he only caught a few fleeting glimpses of her, she looked deeply troubled, and not long after came the news that her parents had been killed, but so many murders were happening around the country and abroad that the whole country seemed to be in a downward spiral. The next year it stopped, and he finally got to talk to Hermione, but she wasn't the same girl. She was sad, depressed even, hardened by stress, and after a few words he knew they would never be close friends again. He occasionally saw her around the area, looking more and more like a zombie, until one day she seemingly disappeared. But he still wondered about her from time to time, and checked the papers daily, not just for her, but for members of his own flock who might need a little guidance.

Hermione was the furthest thing on his mind when he heard that knock late at night. Knocks didn't concern him, people wanted to talk if they knocked, if they had bad intentions they tried to pick the lock and he'd be forced to call the police. When the Vicar died the police said the lock had been twisted so hard it broke, no small feat, but something he would have heard. But he could deal with a knock. So he put his robes on to protect from the chilly air in the chapel and crossed to the main door, opening it a crack. It took him a moment to register the face, but as soon as he did he gasped.

"Hermione," he whispered, opening the door wide. "It's been so long."

"Far too long," she replied with a smile.

"Come in," he said, standing aside and letting her step in. As he closed the door he looked her over. There was something troubling her, he had always been able to read her face easily and could tell something was weighing on her mind, but other than that she looked marvelous, her body still looking young and fit, not a wrinkle or a spot to betray that she had aged at all since the last time he saw her, though she had managed to find a way to tame that mane of hair.

"How are you?" she asked, cautiously opening her arms for a hug, which he easily accepted.

"Great," he nodded, then he pressed a hand to her cheek. "How long were you standing out there? You're freezing!"

"A while," she admitted.

"Come to my office, I'll make some tea..."

"No need, Michael. I don't think tea will help me."

"There's something you need to talk about," he said matter-of-factly.

"Of course there is," she replied with a nod.

"Would you prefer here, in the sanctuary, or in my office?"

"Wherever you feel most comfortable."

"My office. The chairs are more comfortable," he said, leading her there.

After settling in and some small talk he asked, "What brings you here, Hermione?"

She took a deep breath. "I want to get married."

A smile crossed his face. "Congratulations! Who is the lucky man?"

"His name is Jasper Whitlock," she told him, and he saw her features soften at the though of her future husband.

"Where did you meet him?"

"It's... complicated. We, um, we met outside a bar, the one that used to be just a few blocks from my house..."

"That place closed down years ago."

"I know. Jasper and I have been together for a long time. Around a decade."

"Really? And you haven't gotten married yet?"

"It wasn't high on my priority list," she admitted. "We were an established couple, I didn't need a formal ceremony to know that we belonged to each other forever."

"Then why get married now?"

"Something has come up, and recently he became more enamored with the thought of a true marriage, and I wanted to give it to him."

"Are you pregnant?"

"No," she shook her head sadly.

"May I ask what came up, then?"

"It's probably safer if you don't know."

He stared at her quizzically, but decided she'd tell him in time if she was ready. In the meantime he pulled out a piece of paper that he used to document all the couples that came to him wishing to get married. It wasn't formal, just more for his records. He filled in Hermione's side, he knew her name and birthday, and the form didn't get more personal than that, then filled in Jasper Whitlock under the groom. "What's Jasper's birthday?" he asked.

"I'd really rather there be no paperwork on this."

"Why not?" he asked her in surprise.

"To tell you the truth, I kind of have to do things quickly. I don't have enough time to do anything properly."

He decided that it wasn't worth fighting with her about it just yet. "Please, Hermione, this form is for me. No one else will ever see it, I promise you. I just like to keep track of couples I marry, see how things work out between them."

She sighed, but seemed willing to give him the information. "July seventeenth," she said slowly.

"What year?"

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"Hermione, I wouldn't be surprised if you were marrying an older man, you were always more mature than anyone in our class by several years. You can tell me the truth."

"I have to tell you the truth," she muttered, looking at the crucifix on the wall. "But if I tell you the truth, you're not going to believe me."

"Try me."

"1844."

"Did you say _eighteen_ forty-four?"

She nodded once.

"How is that...?"

"One of those it's probably safer if you don't know."

"You keep saying that, but you're trying to kill the cat with the curiosity you're breeding. What are you hiding from me, Mia?" he said, putting down his pen and using his nickname for her, taking any formality out of the conversation.

"Jasper is... my everything," she started. "But he started out as my killer. Not everyone who is dead moves on, Mike. I'm sure you remember enough stories to figure it out from there."

His eyes went wide as a realization passed over him. "Vamp..."

"Don't say it," she cut him off. "I can only protect you if you pretend like you don't know."

He sat, breathing heavily, as the truth settled in, and a terrifying through crossed his mind. "You're not going to..."

"Kill you? No. I have no desire to harm you, I've given that up."

"How do you survive, then?"

"Animals."

"Good to know. Wow," he breathed. "The stories are true."

"Lots of them," she nodded. "And I wish you never had to know. I tried to keep it from you."

"You said you don't have a lot of time, but if the stories are true you should have all the time in the world."

"Immortality never is that simple, you should know that. As it is we've made some powerful enemies, and we don't expect to see the new year."

"No!"

"I wish it wasn't true, but we know what's going to happen, and we've accepted it. I'm just trying to tie up some loose ends before it happens, one being marrying Jasper."

"Of course," he said, shoving the paper into the shredder. "So I'm assuming this is more being officially married in the eyes of God than in the books of the country."

"Exactly."

"I guess that makes things a bit less complicated. I guess I can also wave my mandatory one-month pre-marriage counseling. I guess ten years together proves you have more staying power than most of the couples that come through my door claiming they found their soul mate in each other after a month."

She smiled, "I would hope."

"So I guess that leaves the matter of the day."

"December 30th, if you're free."

"I have another wedding I'm doing that afternoon, but I'm assuming you're aiming for later..."

"Of course."

"Then how does nine sound?"

"Perfect."

"When do I get to meet the groom?"

"If all goes well, the night of the ceremony."

"No rehearsal?"

"I kind of want it to be as much a surprise as I can."  
"You really are going unconventional. Most men I know would bolt if they showed up for their own surprise wedding."

"He's the one begging me," she reminded him.

"And if he bolted after ten years together I'm assuming you'd have a few choice words for him."

"At the very least he would not be enjoying his last night."

"Please don't tell me you've made him wait ten years."

"Not a chance," she chuckled. "Ten months, maybe, but I don't think I'd be able to last ten years."

"Good," he said, wondering if the stories about _that_ were true as well. "How many guests?"

"Not very, just some very close friends. Fifteen tops."

"Attendants?"

"Two on my side, I doubt he'll have any, and frankly I don't need a lot of fuss. They can stand wherever."

"It really is just as long as you get married, isn't it?"

"I've gone this long without a wedding. I'm just doing it for him."

"I wish all the brides were this easy. If you're surprising him, would it be a safe bet that you're not writing your own vows?"

"Of course. Just your basic run of the mill ceremony, please."

"Whatever you want."

"How much will it be? I can get the money as quickly as you need it."

"Not a charge for you, Mia, as long as you don't destroy my church."

"Of course not. I'll treat it as nicely as if it were a first-edition book."

He laughed, her love of books was legendary from a young age, and he vividly remembered that she'd rather re-write notes on a spare piece of paper than mark her book up.

"I'd like to see you the night before, however, so we can try to make this less of a circus than it is seemingly going to be. If your attendants could come as well, I'd appreciate it. The more people who know what they're doing, the better."

"Certainly," she said, standing to leave.

"One thing you could do for me, Hermione," he stood, placing a hand on shoulder to stop her from going.

"Anything."

"Pray with me."

"I haven't prayed in a long time."

"It's never too late. I know where everyone would say you'd be going, given what you are, but I know where you really are going, and I'd like to ensure you get there safely."

She smiled, and allowed him to lead her into the sanctuary to pray together.


	47. A Final Goodbye

**A/N: Just a few more chapters before the end. After this we'll be mostly back on the Breaking Dawn timeline.**

Jasper was nervous. Hermione was hiding something from him, something important. The next day was New Years Eve, they would have to be back in Forks early, which meant their time together was very limited, and yet she was disappearing for hours at a stretch. He searched Grimmauld Place and found it empty save for the decrepit house-elf, and it didn't talk to Jasper at all. He waited in the library, thumbing through a book, when there was the sound of someone Apparating downstairs. He rushed to the landing to find Draco Malfoy standing there with a garment bag in his hand. He didn't trust Draco, knew that somewhere deep down he still had feelings for his mate, and therefore there would never be a friendship between them, and Draco seemed content to avoid him as well. Jasper tensed, wondering if Draco knew he was alone in the house, and if the wizard might do something drastic. Hermione had told the whole truth to only him, and he knew the young man still held guilt over Hermione's transformation and anger that Jasper had taken her to Volterra.

"I'm not going to hex you," Draco hissed. "What's the point? You're dead tomorrow anyways."

"Thanks for the reminder. Where's Hermione?" Jasper demanded.

"There's some kind of end-of-the-year Ministry party, and Kingsley wants you and Hermione there," he replied, dropping the garment bag across the banister. "Formal stuff, though I'd have hoped you got rid of that damn cape by now."

"Hermione made me keep it, though I don't know why."

"Don't wear it. I don't need the reminder tonight."

"I wasn't planning to." He waited for Draco to back off, then went downstairs to gather the bag.

"Hurry it up, will you? Hermione says she'll meet you there, and wanted me to bring you."

"Can't wait," he grumbled. He took the bag upstairs, and found the suit fashioned like his old uniform inside. He would have rather skipped the formal events tonight, instead just spending time with their close friends one more time, then the rest of it with Hermione, but she was so insistent on keeping up the facade that they were visiting for the holidays and nothing was amiss, and she knew he would go along with whatever she wanted to do because he wanted to please his mate.

He stared around the bedroom as he slowly got undressed, taking his time to annoy Draco. Hermione's pictures were scattered around the room, all of happier times, places they explored together, their good friends. Peter and Charlotte were in the only picture that wasn't moving, and his stomach dropped thinking about them. He had called them to say good-bye for the last time, but he wasn't able to pull one over on his friends, not even over the phone, and they agreed to meet in the clearing where Hermione was planning on meeting up with Alice- away from the fight, hopefully far enough so he could convince them to run and not fight. But they were loyal, and cared too deeply for their friend, and he knew trying to convince them to stop fighting was an exercise in futility. He also knew that if Hermione was willing to tell her friends what was going on their numbers would double, maybe even triple, but she held too much guilt in her heart, and wouldn't do anything to put the children in danger of becoming orphans.

Thinking about Hermione made him want to be by her side, so he dressed quickly, combed out his hair, and went down to meet an annoyed Draco, who was now wearing a smart set of dress robes.

"Just grab the sleeve and try to hold on. I have no desire to have to go back and find you," Draco grumbled, holding out his arm.

Jasper wrapped his hand in the sleeve, touching as little of Draco's arm as possible, and luckily he was able to hang on the whole Apparation trip. But instead of some fancy hall with overdressed aristocrats he found himself in a small office. He looked around, there was a crucifix on the wall, and through the open door he could see the sanctuary of a church. A priest in full robes was staring at him, nervous and curious at the same time.

"What's going on?" he asked, confused.

"Hermione gave me this to give to you," Draco said, holding out his hand, and letting Hermione's ring fall into Jasper's outstretched palm. "She says you're going to need it soon."

"I'm going to..." Jasper trailed off, studying the ring, a broad grin crossing his face as he realized what was going on. "Is this my wedding?" he asked the priest.

"It is indeed," the priest smiled. "That is, if you'll marry the bride."

"If..." he laughed out loud. "I've been trying to get her down the aisle for months! I should have married her years ago. If I'll marry the bride... of course I'll marry her."

"Wonderful," the priest said, then he introduced himself as Father Michael as Draco went to check on how things were going. Jasper could see people entering the sanctuary shortly after, Molly and Arthur Weasley, their children with their spouses, and their grandchildren took up most of the crowd, though Neville Longbottom and his wife Hannah, Hagrid, Minerva McGonagall and, to his surprise, Snape, were there as well. Last to come in was Remus Lupin, looking reserved, with Teddy holding his hand. All told less than a quarter of the pews were filled, but it was so much better that way.

"So, Hermione tells me you've been around for a while," Michael said.

"She did?" Jasper asked in surprise.

"We've known each other since we were kids," he explained. "Granted, I doubt that gives her permission to expose your secrets..."

"I don't think she much cares who she's made angry anymore," he replied with a chuckle.

"I love reading about history. It would have been interesting to hear it from someone who was there, had you the time."

"I would have loved to tell you. There's few people I get to tell who are truly interested."

"Would you do me a favor, and stop by before you leave tomorrow? I would like to pray with Hermione one last time."

"Not a bad idea. We'll be here."

"She's ready," Harry said, entering the room with Draco behind him.

"Are you ready?" Michael asked Jasper.

"Of course," he beamed, anxious to get started. Michael led them into the sanctuary, Harry and Draco moving to one side, Michael instructing him to stand on the other. The church was old, but comfortable. The stained glass to one side lit up by the bright light of the three-quarters moon, which was pretty much the only decoration, though this suited him. He didn't want a fuss, he wanted to see his bride and knew their surroundings wouldn't matter the moment he laid eyes on her, and he was right.

She entered alone, wearing a simple dress, the corset-topped, off-the-shoulder bridesmaid dress she wore to Harry's wedding, which she had charmed white for the occasion. Molly had lent her the veil she had worn as she had lent it to Ginny, and some of Hermione's great-grandmother's jewelry adorned her neck. To complete the rhyme she had tucked a small blue flower into her hair. A small bouquet of white roses completed her look, and just gazing upon her he forgot how to breathe. He felt his smile growing wider as she neared, and he found it mirrored in her face. With no one to give her away she moved to stand face-to-face with him after handing her bouquet off to Harry, but he wasn't content to stand hand-in-hand with her, and reached out to take her waist and pulled her to him so their foreheads were touching.

"A good surprise?" she asked.

"The best," he replied.

The wedding was simple, but he didn't take his eyes off her the whole time. She gave him her father's wedding ring, and he slipped the antique ring back on her finger. Micahel, knowing the situation, had altered things just enough that they acknowledged their love for each other, and their desire to be with each other until the end, and how they would join each other for eternity. By the time Michael pronounced them husband and wife there was so much happiness radiating in the room that even Snape was cracking a half-grin. When it was finally time to kiss her he placed a hand on the back of her head, holding her to him, wanting to put as much passion as he could into it, never wanting the moment to end. Their was an uproar of applause to bring him back to earth, and the children were chanting and dancing as they made their way back up the aisle.

A late dinner was held in a tent that had been set up behind the Burrow and magically warmed. Hermione had been gone most of the day helping Molly and Ginny prepare the feast, and she and Jasper danced as their guests ate.

"This was perfect," Jasper said as he held her close during a slow song.

"I just wish I had done it sooner," she replied.

"Better late than never," he smiled.

"Hmmm," she trailed off, resting her head against his shoulder.

"I wish I could take you somewhere, somewhere where we wouldn't see another living soul for weeks, maybe months or years, where we could just be with each other and happy. I am so sorry that all this is happening to you. What is going to happen tomorrow is my fault, and if you want to stay and hide, I'll try to lay a false trail..."

"Never,"she whispered, placing a finger to his lips. "I couldn't go on, you know that."

"You don't deserve to die."

"Neither do you. We cannot change our circumstances, so let's enjoy the moment. I've stopped worrying about what is going to happen tomorrow. What's going to happen is going to happen, and fretting about it isn't going to help anything. We have precious few hours left, and I don't want to waste a single one of them."

They danced a few minutes more, then Hermione felt someone tap her shoulder.

"My turn, Dracula," George beamed, playfully pulling Hermione from Jasper's grasp. Jasper tried to look affronted, then began to dance with Angelina.

"I like the nice low-key thing going on," George said, nodding around the tent. "I wish it didn't involve giving my kid cake at ten at night, but I guess one sugar-rush of a night isn't going to hurt anyone."

"George Weasley, didn't I hear you say you're going to give little Fred a lot of sugar tomorrow night so you can ring in the New Year proper and sleep in?"

"I've got a feeling that I won't be in much of a mood to celebrate tomorrow night," he said seriously, studying her eyes.

"What do you mean?" she asked with a sinking stomach.

He sighed, pulling her close into a bear hug. "It's been an honor to be your older brother, even if only unofficially."

"How do you...?"

"The two of you have been looking more and more like the proverbial walking dead the closer and closer it gets to the end of the year. And then you refused my offer to let you wed before my party tomorrow night, instead you insist that you have to be married tonight. My guess is you won't be honoring your RSVP for the party, though I hope to Merlin, Morgana, and Dumbledore that I am totally wrong in my assumption."

She gazed into his eyes and found them brimming with tears. "You don't know how badly I want to tell you you're wrong, but I've always been a horrible liar."

He nodded, took a deep breath, and looked up as he tried to control himself. "Let me guess, you told Potter later because he's the type to go with you no matter your protests."

"You know me so well."

He stopped dancing, instead hugging her again. "I know you'll turn it down, but I'd be remiss in my brotherly duties if I didn't offer to come fight."

"No. You don't need to die."

"I knew you'd say that. But, for the record, I'd be willing to."

"Just take care of Fred and Angelina for me," she whispered.

He held her closely, moving her in an awkward circle as to not draw attention that he was crying on her shoulder and holding her tightly. When he composed himself he stood back up straight and kissed her forehead. "Say hello to Fred for me," he whispered.

"I don't think we're going to the same place..."

"You are," he nodded, giving her one more kiss. "I love you, Hermione."

"I love you, too, George."

He hugged her tightly one last time, then motioned for Fred to come over and give her a hug. She was thankful she couldn't cry as she watched the little boy run back to his friends to play under the watchful eye of Mrs. Weasley, as Fred stepped outside, trying to keep the tears from falling anew in front of his family. She turned to try to find Jasper, and instead found herself face-to-face with Snape.

"You overheard that, didn't you?" she murmured.

"Enough," he replied.

"I don't need any snarky comments about Gryffindor foolishness or courage or anything like that, Severus, so if you're here to tell me that I'm an idiot for what is going to happen tomorrow, just clear off."

"That's hardly what I wanted to say. I'm assuming you've finally made enemies of your former friends?"

"That's the short of it."

"You were scared and young when you joined them, and you finally came to the realization that there is no co-existence between you. I don't know why you are so convinced of your death, and I don't need to hear an explanation. Just remember you are Hermione Granger, or at least you were until earlier tonight, if you're not doing the feminist thing and keeping your name. When it came to a fight, you never took anything as the final word, and do not make that mistake now. I will not call you an idiot, but you can count on me to be disappointed if I hear you didn't go down fighting."

She had a retort about why she would care if he were disappointed in her, when she realized that the thought of him being so after her death bothered her. As bad as this one fight promised to be, Severus had gone through worse for years and survived, just barely, but survived. And it made her want to fight, for him to hear how she died in the midst of the battle.

"If you hear of how I died, I promise it'll be with as many of them as I can take down. If I get a shot at Aro, all the better," she told him with a hint of a wicked grin on her face.

"Give them Hell, Hermione," he nodded before shaking her hand and leaving.

The next few of her dances were pleasant, she was passed from Weasley to Weasley like she were a true family member. She even danced with Mrs. Weasley, spinning her and dipping her with ease to roars of laughter. Harry held her close, but few words passed between them. He thought he had a few more days to convince her to let him fight. Draco couldn't speak to her as they danced, each time his mouth opened a soft sob escaped, but he was a Malfoy, and Malfoys didn't cry in public. As they broke apart she said she'd be at his house in the morning to collect him for the trip to Forks. She said a hearty good-bye to each of the children as they got too tired to stay awake, she hugged each of them tightly, kissed them, and told them she loved them. The guests were starting to show fatigue, and they were talking about calling it a night when she felt another tap on her shoulder, this time from Remus.

"May I have this dance?" he asked quietly.

"Of course," she replied, and Jasper tightened his grip for a fraction of a second before letting her go.

"Congratulations," he said as he took her hand and waist and led her to the slow waltz that was playing.

"Thank you very much."

"I'm surprised it took you this long."

"There was... so much going on before, I just didn't think it was a good time to be planning a wedding," she replied.

"And how is your dietary conversion going?"

"Well," she nodded.

"Hermione," he lifted her face to his. "I'm sorry. The words that I said before were completely uncalled for, and I deserved the reaction you gave me. I was in a bad place, and I would hate for that to be the last interaction between us."

"Well, it's not," she said with a forced smile. "As of right now, this is our most recent interaction."

"I'm not ready to talk, tonight has been difficult on me. I knew you'd find happiness, but with the one who..." he trailed off, and shot a look at Jasper. "I'd rather we straighten this out between ourselves, somewhere quiet. Perhaps when you return from your honeymoon."

She bit her lip. "I'm not sure when that's going to happen, Remus."

"Is there something you're hiding from me, Hermione?"

She paused, looking up at him. "Yes."

"But you're not going to tell me."

"No. I daresay you'll hear sooner than you wish."

"Is Teddy in danger?"

She hadn't even thought about that, but with her dead, Caius might take care of what he considered the biggest loose end she had ever left. "I'm not sure. It might be best for the two of you to hide for a while."

"Are you..."

She shook her head to cut him off. "Don't ask, Remus. Please. We both want things to end on a good note, I can't stand anyone else breaking down at my wedding."

He pulled her to him and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "You are one of a kind, Hermione. I know asking you to take care of yourself is futile, but please know that I never hated you, no matter what you are."

"Thank you, Remus. Please, take care of Harry. He's going to need a shoulder, and I think Ginny as well."

He danced with her until the song ended, then kissed her hand and walked away. Jasper quickly took his spot.

"Do you reckon it's about time to go, ma'am?" he asked, offering her an arm.

"I do," she nodded. She was shaking slightly as she said good-bye to everyone one last time, promising to see them soon with tales of the exotic locations she and Jasper were sure to visit on their honeymoon. Then she Apparated Jasper back to her room at Grimmauld Place. Jasper immediately took her in his arms and kissed her, a long, slow, lingering kiss.

"Thank you," he whispered. "I needed this."

"After today, tomorrow should be a breeze," she whispered.

"We have tonight," he replied, kissing her again.


	48. Confrontation

**A/N: This chapter is dedicated to the very talented Dreaming while awake, who made me an awesome banner, which can be found at:**

**i901 .photobucket albums / ac211 / kmegahr16 / thehunterandthehunted . png  
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**Thank you so much, Dreaming! You inspired me to get off my rear and finish this chapter.  
**

They were lying in bed, bodies entwined with each other, when the sun rose the next day. Silently they watched it as it rose slowly over the house across the way. Hermione marveled in the beauty of it, with everything that had been going on she wished she had taken the time to watch more sunrises. Jasper tightened his grip on her, just enough, reassuring her that he was ready. She waited for the sun to fully rise over the dilapidated houses before kissing him and standing up to dress. Words seemed limited and constraining, so they weren't passed. She scribbled a quick note to Harry, and left it on the bed with a picture of the two of them, standing together hand in hand in front of a smoldering Hogwarts, with an inscription 'Love always, Hermione'.

"Ready?" Jasper said when she was done putting the room back in order.

She looked around one more time before nodding.

He stepped closer to her, wrapping his arms around her, and she took a deep breath before Apparating them to the church. She softly knocked, and the door opened within seconds. Michael had been waiting for them, prayer beads and Bible in hand.

"Thank you for coming," the priest said with a sad smile.

"Thank you for offering," Hermione replied. "Not many in your position would."

"It is how you live, not what you are, that defines you," he said, leading them inside to the front of the church. "I've known you long enough to know how you've lived, Hermione, and that you would not marry someone who wasn't worthy of being with someone as special as you."

She wrapped him in a tight hug. "Thank you," she whispered.

"You're probably pressed for time," he muttered. "Shall we?"

She and Jasper nodded in unison. Much like their wedding the formality of the ritual was dismissed in favor of the intimacy of the moment. Michael prayed for their souls, and for any souls that they had effected during their time on Earth. He talked about everyone and everything being part of God's plan, and while it was sometimes surprising to learn of some of His creations, there was a reason for their existence, and that he was happy that Hermione and Jasper had made the choices they had. He led them in a few prayers, and when he was finished they remained standing in front of the rustic wooden cross in contemplative silence.

"It has been an honor and a blessing to have known you, Hermione," Michael finally said in a voice barely above a whisper.

"The same," she said, wrapping her arms around him one last time.

"Jasper, I wish I had the opportunity to have gotten to know you better."

"Likewise," Jasper nodded, shaking his hand.

"I'll be praying for a different outcome."

"It couldn't hurt at this point."

"Good luck," he said, fighting the tears in his eyes. Hermione and Jasper left without a word. They next went to Draco's house, where he was waiting outside, eyes staring out across the water at the receding darkness. Hermione went to stand by him, gazing out at the water with him, her hand finding his.

"It's not fair," Draco murmured.

"Life tends to not be," she replied.

"There's something I want you to do... want both of you to do."

"What?" she asked.

He stuck his hand in his robes, pulling out four phials- two filled with a swirling silver liquid, two with a deep red Hermione didn't need to sniff to know was blood.

"Draco..." she whispered.

"Don't die for your morals, Hermione. It was just a little blood, I was happy to do it, I'd be affronted if you didn't accept. Severus brewed the blood replenishing potion himself, adding a few untested things to strengthen it, and a few more he thinks will strengthen you just a little bit more. Please, they're not going to fight fair. Don't let them cheat you out of your life."

She took the phials, handed one of each to Jasper, and downed each of hers. Immediately she felt the rush of strength the human blood gave to her, and the replenishing potion filled her up and stopped the constant nagging, slight burn in the back of her throat. Jasper sighed, apparently feeling the same thing.

"Thank you," she whispered, vanishing the phials. "And tell Severus thank you as well."

"I'll try, but frankly I don't want to see him for a long while. He has a tendency to be a bit insensitive."

"That is an understatement," she chuckled. "Are you ready to go?"

"I'll never be ready for this, but I can leave."

They took a portkey, stopping a few times for Draco to rest and to reduce the stress on his body. He would need to be in top form to move quickly enough to get Renesmee into hiding. His plan was to take her, do a few jumps around the United States and Canada to confuse Demetri if he was still able to see Renesmee, then perform a charm to prevent him from seeing her, and take her to the Burrow for a few days while he got over Hermione's death. He hadn't asked Molly, because it would require giving Hermione's secret away, but he was confident the Weasley matriarch wouldn't turn the girl away.

Finally they landed in the clearing, and Jasper was saddened to see that Peter and Charlotte had not had a change of heart, and were awaiting their arrival.

"I told you not to come, old friend," Jasper said walking over to embrace each of them.

"You would be here it it were us," Charlotte replied.

"You are awfully confident in that unproven fact," he smirked.

"You have never turned down a fight," Peter pointed out.

"And today is not going to be the day."

"Hermione," Charlotte reached for her. "We are sorry it has come to this, and we are thankful for the time we've had together."

Hermione hugged each of them. "Jasper might not ask outright, but I will- please, leave. You do not need to die for us."

"My dear, we've been around for far too many lifetimes not to risk everything for our two best friends."

"You are the epitome of stupid, yet noble," Jasper smiled.

"A debate I wish we could have, but don't we have something we need to be doing?"

"I was told to wait here until the rest of our friends arrived," Hermione said, looking around, but Alice was not appearing, and she was starting to debate waiting.

"So, Miss Granger..." Peter started.

"Excuse me," Jasper said, lifting her left hand with his. "Mrs. Whitlock."

"Congratulations, and my apologies."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It was an apology for using the wrong name, that's all. You felt the need to get defensive and affronted. I was merely going to ask how she managed to bring only one wizard with her."

"She told the rest to stay home, or lied about the date to keep them away," Jasper answered for her.

"But one defies your request?" he raised an eyebrow.

"He's here with a mission," Hermione replied vaguely, turning towards the sound of someone moving through the trees. Alice appeared a second later, two vampires and, to Hermione's surprise, another hybrid following. Without a word Alice rushed up to Hermione, and, expecting a hug, Hermione opened her arms, but instead Alice slapped her arm.

"You got married. Without me," the pixie-sized vampire growled dangerously.

"Time was of the essence," Hermione replied.

"Any other day, I'd be horribly upset to the point of not talking to you. But it was beautiful. I'll forgive you for that, and for the human blood, because you've found a much better way to protect Renesmee than anyone else has. Thank you, Draco."

"Have I met you?" Draco asked, looking confused and annoyed.

"No. I'm Alice, Hermione's new sister."

"You must be the one who can see."

"I am. I'm very sorry to be doing this to you."

"I'm not doing it for you, or even for the girl. I'm doing it for Hermione."

"And I appreciate it."

"We all do, but it's time. We're going to be late."

"But who are they..." Hermione started.

"No time!" Alice cried, starting through the woods.

"Wouldn't want to keep Aro waiting," Draco grumbled.

Hermione went to him, and bent over to pick him up and give him a piggyback ride, and he grudgingly climbed on. Jasper didn't even shoot him a dirty look as he kissed Hermione's cheek and whispered 'goodbye'.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The smell of frying meat and eggs filled the small kitchen, and easily wafted upstairs, drawing Ginny's three favorite men down to her. She laughed as they entered, hair still askew, little Albus with his house-slippers on the wrong feet. There was no doubting that they were Harry's boys on mornings like this.

They enjoyed their breakfast, and Harry and Ginny started going over their plans for the day. The boys would take a nap in the afternoon, and when they woke up they would all go over to the Burrow for an early dinner, and Harry and Ginny would leave for the party.

"I want to get a new dress," Ginny announced.

"Don't you have a few dresses?" Harry asked.

"Yes, but I'd really like a new one. Something to cover this," she said, patting the slight bulge in her stomach.

"It's hardly noticeable!"

"I look like I've gained five pounds."

"You look like you've gone off your gourd."

"Either way, I'm buying a dress. Which means I should go. Boys, could you go get Aunt Hermione out of her room? I need a shopping partner."

"Come on," Harry groaned as the boys scampered from the room. "She's probably still celebrating her wedding."

"She and Jasper need to spend a lot of time together, I understand, but she can give herself a break for a couple hours to help me find the perfect dress t be seen on your arm in."

"I just hope they locked the door, or the boys are going to get a sight," he murmured into his coffee.

"Mum! Dad!" James said, skidding back into the room. "Aunt Hermione's not here!"

"Not here? What do you mean not here?"

"Aunt My-nee and Unca Jazz aren't in their room," Albus managed to pant as he finally made it back into the room.

"They left this," James said, holding out the note and the picture.

"Oh, no," Harry said, feeling the blood drain from his face. He had a feeling Hermione was lying to him, but he had still expected her to say goodbye in person. His hand was trembling so hard it took him three times to tear open the letter and let the mangled envelope fall to the floor.

_Dearest Harry,_

_I'm sorry that this is the second such note you've received from me. I wish I had the strength to say goodbye to you in person, but right now I'm finding very little strength for the time ahead. I apologize that I had to lie to you about the date, I knew I'd be unable to keep you from coming otherwise, and I don't need you to die for me. I need you to live, to love, and to remember. _

_There won't be anything left of me to bury, but if you could, a marker for Jasper and I would be lovely, preferably near Ron. I'll give your regards to him, if everyone is right about where I am going, and tell George I'll do the same with Fred._

_I love you, Harry. Please, be strong._

_Love always,_

_Hermione_

Tears were streaming down his face as he finished the short note, and turned to the picture.

"Hermione," he whispered, running his hands over her face.

"Boys, why don't you go pack for Grandma's?" Ginny said quickly, ushering them from the room and standing by the door long enough to hear their footsteps disappear upstairs. Then she went to her husband, gently pried the note and picture from his hand and placed it on the table and out of harms way, then wrapped her arms around Harry. They held each other as the tears flowed, all their plans for the day dropping out of their minds, knowing instead the day would be dedicated to the mourning process.

XXXXXXXXXX

They entered the clearing near the halfway line between the two groups. Negotiations seemed to have broken down, and with their entrance Edward, Carlisle, and Bella were backing towards their side. Edward nodded grimly at all of them, the rest of the family seemed shocked at their sudden re-appearance. Kachiri immediately went to stand next to her coven. Hermione let Draco down, and he dutifully moved so he was standing next to Renesmee, who was standing next to Jacob and awaiting her signal to climb on and hold on tight.

"It seems Draco is here to take over your job, so you won't have to sit this one out, Jacob," Edward said quietly.

The large russet wolf let out a soft growl, but his lips upturned.

"Thank you, Draco," Edward continued, shaking the wizards hand. "I wish there was a way to repay you."

"No problem," Draco said, placing a hand on Renesmee's shoulder, ready to move at a moment's notice.

Renesmee reached up to Edward.

"Draco will care for you well, my beautiful girl," he whispered to her. "You'll be safe with him and his family."

She hugged him tightly, then hugged Bella before placing a hand on Draco's, knowing she'd have to hold on tightly when it was time to Apparate.

Hermione walked with their small group to the center of the large line of Volturi and supporters.

"Hermione," Aro smiled, though his eyes betrayed the anger behind them. "I was afraid you wouldn't show up."

"When have you ever seen me allow an atrocity to be committed without speaking up?" she replied, venom thick in her voice.

"You are quite notorious for that. Whom might your companions be?"

"Nahuel and Hulien," Alice spoke up. "Proof that you have no good reason to fear what Renesmee is going to become."

As Aro was busy hearing from Alice, Nahuel, and Hulien Hermione secretly motioned to Draco to leave. She carefully watched, but Aro and Caius didn't seem to notice as Draco led the girl into the woods, where seconds later there was the soft pop of Apparation. Marcus, on the other hand, had noticed the motion, and had watched the pair leave. When they were no longer in sight he locked eyes with Hermione. She stared defiantly back, but did not see anger in his eyes. More curiosity, and, surprisingly, a hint of happiness. He nodded once at her, a corner of his mouth moved a couple millimeters upwards for less than a second, then he went back to looking passive and disinterested. The message was clear. Hermione had heeded his warning, and in that moment he was proud.

"Thank you for traveling so far," Aro was saying. "We need to deliberate..."

"Why?" Hermione interrupted.

"Excuse me?"

"You have no reason to deliberate. You have been given proof that Renesmee is no threat. You have proof that she's no immortal child, hell, you could have gotten that information before we even showed up. Any decision other than a finding that no one is guilty of what they've been accused of is vindictive and proves that you are not here for justice, but for extermination."

She and Aro stared at each other for a long moment. "Irina, step forward, please," Aro said without breaking his gaze.

Hermione swallowed hard. So he was going to try to force their hand. He was going to try to make them attack first, so anything the Voltrui did was in retaliation and therefore justified. She opened her mind, hoping Edward was listening. _Hold them back,_ she thought, picturing Kate and Tanya. _I don't think I'll be able to stop this..._

She heard murmuring from the line behind her, then her family shifting around the Denali coven, ready to react.

"She's done nothing wrong..." Hermione started.

"Hardly," Caius said. "She presented us with evidence of an immortal child, and as you have so adamantly pointed out, there is no immortal child. That is false witness, and against our laws..."

"She reported what she saw, and anyone would have made the mistake at that distance, especially with her history! You saw the same thing," she said, shaking an accusatory finger at Aro. "You saw the same thing and you came to the same conclusion, so does it not stand that you also provided false witness?"

"Hermione," Aro said, reaching out for her, but she ducked the contact, and behind her Jasper let off a warning snarl. "You're so young..."

"And perhaps you're too old for the position which you have been working so hard to keep for so long! There's a reason monarchies are going out of style."

Aro set his jaw.

"The punishment for bearing false witness against us is death," Caius said with a flourish of a hand, and several members rushed forward. For a split second the sound of ripping metal filled the air, punctuated by a few pitiful screams, and there was a quick flare of fire. Hermione could hear Tanya and Kate fighting against the family, but they were being held in place. No one else moved. A look of disappointment passed over Aro's face.

"Nice try, but we're not going to be provoked," Hermione smirked. "If you want to do what you came here for, you're going to have to make the first move."

"Whatever do you think we came over here for?" Aro asked, failing to sound innocent.

"You and I both know what you came over here for. Extermination of a major threat. Why else would you feel the need to empty the city and bring along so many others?"

His demeanor changed in an instant. "You have overstepped your boundaries for the last time, Hermione. You have constantly pushed limits, and we've been lenient, but this time it is too far. You are accusing us..."

"You forget who we have on our side," she said, pointing to Alice. "You can't slip your reasons past her, and I'm sure Edward would back her up."

"You are standing on dangerous ground, young one..."

"Am I? Perhaps I'm not the only one. Now, let's get back to the matter at hand. You came to destroy an immortal child and those who harbored her. We've proven you have no cause for concern. The way I see it is your options are now leave or admit to everyone that Renesmee was a diversion for your true mission here. I'm sick of talking to you."

Aro said nothing. "You have amassed quite a group for a supposed mistake in our judgment."

"Would you have listened without such a show of support?"

"It is interesting company you keep," he said with a nod towards Sam and Jacob.

"They are not children of the moon. If you want me to soundly whip you with logic again I will," she hissed.

"They are close enough. We do not honor treaties with werewolves."

"I'm done arguing with you. What did it feel like to show up and find that Alice and I were both gone? Did a shiver of fear go down your spine? Did you wonder if she and I had run off to start our own group? Did you think, just for a second, that everything you've been working so hard to maintain might be in jeopardy? At least we've given you a reason for what you're about to do. But before it starts, Jasper and I have a gift for you," she said, waving her wand, making their cloaks and Jasper's pendant appear. She held them out to Aro saying, "Just to make sure you know where our loyalties lie. I'd give you it all back, but the other pendant is somewhere at the bottom of the ocean, and I don't care to go looking for it."

Aro started to reach for the garments when Hermione tossed them at him, pulling her hand quickly away. As soon as they made contact with Aro's skin they burst into flames, but he was able to move quickly enough backwards to avoid catching himself, and for a minute the pile of flaming fabric stood between them as he looked at her in disbelief.

"It was worth a shot," she shrugged as she heard a ripple of laughter coming from behind her.

"Brothers and Sisters!" Aro said loudly. "Hermione has committed an act of rebellion against us! Will we stand for it?"

"No!" came a chorused reply.

"Perhaps a rebellion is just what we need," came a lone voice from the line. Hermione's jaw nearly dropped as she turned towards the speaker.

"Yes!" cried Edward and Alice in unison as the figure took a step forward.

**A/N: Anyone care to hazard a guess? I'll try to get the next chapter out quickly.**


	49. Battle

**A/N: No one guessed who it was, so the mystery is solved. All the begging and the reviews got me off my butt, and I finished this a few days before I thought I would be able to.**

**I will warn you, as I said before I hated how Breaking Dawn ended, and don't like SM's explanation that she didn't want to kill anyone off. It was one of the most unsatisfying endings to a book I've ever read. So I promised that I would not shy away from a fight, and I did not, but with that comes some sacrifices. I know people are going to be mad, but I couldn't make it so everyone made it through because that's not realistic. So, here's the warning: character death happens in this chapter. Quite a bit of it, actually. And it's a fight scene. There is a bit of violence, though hopefully not too graphic.  
**

**Thank you for reading.  
**

"Chelsea," Hermione breathed as her friend stepped forward.

"I know the value of a true friendship," Chelsea replied with a smile, letting her cloak flutter to the ground behind her and pulling the pendant from around her neck. She gave Hermione a hug, then turned to face Aro. Without any warning or fanfare Afton followed suit, standing, like Jasper, behind his mate. Suddenly Edward was back with the group, knowing that with Chelsea's deflection was a game-changing moment. They suddenly had hope, but they'd have to use their newfound advantage quickly and decisively.

"Chelsea, my dear..." Aro started, a hint of nerves evident in his voice.

"You lied to us, Aro," Chelsea interrupted, not giving him a chance to finish. "You knew my concerns about coming here and harming Hermione, but you assured me that her new coven had created an immortal child, and it was for that reason and that reason only many of us agreed to come. Because you had convinced us that the Cullens, with Hermione, had decided they were big and powerful enough to not have to worry about our laws, and were convinced they could do as they wish. We have spent some time with Hermione, and we know she has no harm in her heart, but we remember the laws are the laws, and Hermione is not above them, especially with such an outrageous and obvious breach. And so we came, and we found out that a mistake had been made. The girl may not be human, but she is not one of us, either. And still I was willing to go along with your plan, because we did not know what she is to become, though I was beginning to have my doubts about punishing the whole coven and not just Bella and Edward, who made the girl by themselves. And then Alice arrived, and provided proof that the girl is not a long-term danger, especially while living with this particular family. At this we should have admitted our mistake and left, but you stayed, grasping at straws, trying to find any justification for what you expect us to do. I cannot stand with you anymore. You have condemned an innocent family full of good people to death, and the more supposed justifications you give, the more I realize that you have one purpose here, to eliminate a threat. Hermione has shown us that compassion and justice can be as effective as fear, and you know that others will be drawn to her way of thinking. You know that, with enough talent on her side, she could build a group that rivals yours. Instead of offering to share the power, to perhaps suggest that she set up her own branch on this side of the world with her own enforcers, you cannot relinquish power. You've grown mad with it, and will do whatever you can to hold onto it. But this is it. Today you learn the consequences of surrounding yourself with power greater than your own, and bending that power too far."

As she finished Hermione noticed that the stoic line of dark-robed figures was suddenly not so quiet. They were looking at each other, murmuring among themselves. Chelsea had stopped using her power over them. For the first time since entering Volterra they suddenly found themselves having to make their own decisions about where their loyalties lie. The first to move were some of the witnesses, who turned and fled into the woods. Then one of the witnesses slowly stepped forward, walked to the line of Volturi members, looked down the line, and crossed the field to stand next to one of the wolves. One by one dark cloaks and pendants were left on the ground as their previous owners crossed the field. Eight Volturi and six witnesses had changed sides when, to Hermione's great surprise, Felix stepped forward.

"I'll do it for a kiss," Felix smirked at Hermione.

"You do not know when to give up, do you?" she sighed, fighting a smile, but she stepped forward.

"Whoa, little girl, I see that ring on your finger. You're a married woman now. I don't want any of that mess. How narcissistic to think I was talking about you."

She huffed as though affronted and put her hands on her hips."Who exactly were you talking about, then?"

His eyes scanned the crowd before coming to rest on Tanya. "What do you say, sweetheart?"

"I say fight and I'll think about it," she snapped.

"Then fight I will," he said, dropping his cloak and pendant and going to stand next to her.

Hermione turned back to the Volturi. Aro was scanning their new line, and she could see him working through possibilities in his head. The Volturi still had the numerical advantage, but Hermione suspected that several of the witnesses were waiting just long enough for the fight to break out before they would flee while hopefully not attracting attention. The abilities on the Cullens' side were not to be trifled with, Chelsea had broken the bonds to the Volturi, and seemed to be attempting to create a distance, but at this point self-preservation said go with the side with the greater numbers, and with the track record of winning. The wolves had fear on their side, no one had seen them fight and would be very hesitant to take them on. Bella was suddenly a great asset, with her newborn strength and speed and her immunity to the harshest of gifts on the Volturi's side. Edward would be a hard one to slip past, but he was susceptible to some of the abilities that were left, most notably Jane, Alec, and Renata, the ones who were left who posed the greatest danger. They were at the top of her list to destroy when the fight broke out, with Aro and Caius right under them. She hoped she could spare Marcus and the wives, but suspected that none of them would survive, Marcus due to his lack of desire and the wives because they would not want to live without their mates. Studying Aro's face, she knew he was having similar thoughts, and wondering how they had gotten to such an even match. She expected Aro to speak, but it was Edward's voice that broke the silence.

"He did it, you know," he whispered, eyes locked on Marcus'. "You've been suspecting it for a very long time, but you haven't cared since she died. But he did it. His own flesh, to keep you with him, and used Chelsea to keep you loyal. She's gone because of his greed."

Something flashed behind Marcus' eyes, a life that Hermione didn't think was possible. His jaw clenched as he turned to look at Aro. "My Didyme. Is it true?" he asked in a low voice.

"There are things you must understand..." Aro started with a stutter.

"Is it true? Did you take her from me?"

Aro didn't answer, but the look on his face replied for him.

"Hermione," Marcus said, turning to her. "I need to ask a favor."

"Anything," she replied.

In one fluid movement he took his cloak off, throwing it on the ground, his pendant falling upside-down atop of it. "Burn it," he commanded.

"Gladly," she said, pointing her wand at the garment, which curled into flames, the pendant melting atop it.

"Traitor!" Jane shouted, and Marcus suddenly dropped to his knees. He had suffered in silence for so long that no screams escaped his lips, but it was obvious that he was in pain. Hermione looked at Jasper for what might be the last time, and he thrust himself forward to give her a brief yet passionate kiss.

"This is it. Start it, my love," he hissed.

Her wand moved of it's own accord, carrying with it the hatred of Jane and everything she had done, and before anyone could blink Jane was burning, then collapsing in a pile of dust. Alec was distracted by his sister's sudden demise, and Hermione hit him with a killing curse before anyone on the Volturi's side could react to the shock that Jane had been dispatched so quickly.

Then war broke out.

There was the stampeding sound of feet as their side rushed to meet the Volturi, and the dark-robed figures lunged forward as to not be caught on the defensive.

"Keep your mind open!" Edward shouted at her, and she immediately dropped her mental wards, which she realized a second too late was a bad idea, as Aro suddenly disappeared from her line of sight, replaced by the sinister grin of Renata. She shot a curse at Aro's body guard, but it passed right through her. Her wand was wrenched from her grip, revealing Renata's true position just long enough Hermione got a hand on her, though she couldn't see more than what was in her grip. Without her wand and with someone already in her mind she found it impossible to put her Occlumency shields back up.

_Bella, _she shouted to Edward. _I need Bella!_

"Go," Edward ordered his bride, who had come to fight by his side, and he pointed at Hermione. Bella understood as Hermione did her best to keep Renata's arm in her grip while twisting, avoiding the vampire she couldn't see, but could feel moving. Renata's gift faltered as she was confronted with Bella, and it was enough for Hermione to quickly be able to snap her mind shut. Faced with two adversaries who weren't affected by her gift Renata went wild, but she had not had to physically fight someone in a long time, and was outmatched. Together Hermione and Bella made quick work of her. Hermione produced a lighter and lit the pieces, shooing Bella away.

When Hermione was done making sure Renata was burning she stood up and looked for Aro, but saw a sight on the other side of the field that made her stomach drop. Emmett was fighting a dark-robed figure and a red-eyed witness, and didn't see the third figure coming silently up behind him. Without thinking she started running, shouting a warning that was lost in a howl from one of the wolves as it was thrown between them. When the wolf passed Hermione watched in horror as the three vampires quickly dispatched her fun-loving brother. From her left she heard an anguished scream she knew was from Rosalie, and the blonde vampire rushed by her, aiming for the three vampires, and Hermione was quickly on her heels. Working on her hand-to-hand combat with Jasper helped as she engaged the two Volturi members, two she had barely met whose jobs were to monitor the situation in the Southern Wars, ducking, weaving, and eventually taking piece after piece off and tossing them into the remnants of the fire that was once Emmett. Rosalie, in her grief and rage, made quick work of the witness, then helped Hermione finish off the other two.

"I'm so sorry," Hermione said quickly when she realized they were safe for a minute.

Rosalie grabbed her, giving her a tight hug. "Take care of yourself, and Jasper," she whispered into Hermione's hair before running back off to join the fray. Hermione was about to run after her when she was grabbed from behind by the hair, and it was only by moving with the yanking force that would have taken her head off had she not known what was coming. She twisted quickly, grabbing whoever it was who had a hold of her, and came face-to-face with Caius as he bent over her, hand still firmly implanted in her hair.

"I can honestly say that I'm going to enjoy this," he smirked.

"You're enjoying losing your power?" she replied, working her hand into her hair between his hand and her scalp.

"Not so tough without your wand, I see."

"I'm holding my own," she shot back, suddenly moving her hand down while moving her head up. The strengthening solution Snape had given her seemed to suddenly surge through her limbs, and she easily freed herself from Caius. They quickly began to spar, and she was surprised he could actually move for as little as she saw him doing when he had been sitting around on a throne. They ducked and lunged at each other, sometimes missing by centimeters, sometimes gaining a grip just to have the other wrench themselves free. Caius threw Hermione at a large tree, hoping to stun her, but she twisted mid-air and planted her feet on the firm trunk, pushing back off towards her opponent. She caught the stunned leader around the middle, getting a grip on his neck, and twisting so she had him in a headlock. Before she could twist she saw Jacob's large wolf form running towards them. Caius screamed and tried to back up away from the large wolf, eyes wide in terror, but Hermione planted her feet and lifted with all her might, lifting Caius off the ground so Jacob could grab onto a leg. The two of them pulled in the opposite direction, and Caius' scream stopped short as he was torn apart. Hermione thanked Jacob before she burned the body, and he nodded in response before jumping back into the fight. Hermione was alone at the edge of the clearing, surveying the site before her, and unable to believe what she was seeing. They were winning, and not just winning, but quite close at sealing their victory. There were very few dark-cloaked figures still fighting, and several of the witnesses, who must have seen that they were facing a death sentence for the crime of showing up, were bolting into the woods.

"Hermione," a soft voice said behind her, and she spun, crouching down, ready to strike.

Hands aloft Athenodora and Sulpicia emerged from the woods. "We know we cannot fight you," Athenodora said. "Please, we wish to surrender."

"I just killed your husband..."

"I saw. He attacked you first. You defended yourself. I just wish that the animal hadn't been the last thing he saw."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't. It had to be one of you. I will survive this."

"We have something for you," Sulpicia said, and pulled Hermione's wand from within the folds of her cloak.

Hermione reached out for the wand, amazed that Renata had not had the foresight to snap it in two. "I will not destroy you so long as you don't try to harm me," she said, and there was a double meaning behind her words. She was not going to murder two who were trying to surrender, and she would not kill them for the sake of killing them.

"We actually should thank you," Athenodora said with a faint smile. "Aro and Caius do not let us out of our tower often, just enough to spend some time socializing with those in the group, and since you left we've been locked in there. We knew we wouldn't be coming out as long as you weren't around, and there was a good chance that once you were gone we'd still be in there, as we got along with few as well as you. We may have lost our mates, but we've gained our freedom, if you're willing to allow us to have it."

"Hermione is very fair," came a voice at her arm, and she spun and was surprised to see Bree smiling at her. "If she says she won't harm you, she won't. She gave me a second chance, I'm sure she'll give you one as well."

"Thank you, Bree," Hermione said with a smile. "Have you been here the whole time?"

"Yes. Carlisle found Fred and I and told us about the situation. You saved me once, I figured I should return the favor, and Fred seems to like making everyone around him sick, even though our side has to be careful to stay away from him."

She smiled, then looked back at the wives. "I cannot promise you anything if you come out of those woods, if I have to fight I cannot protect you."

"We have never been allowed to fight, and we know we won't last long out there," Sulpicia said. "We just wish to go in peace, but we want to hear your plans for afterwards. Are you returning to Volterra to take over?"

"I haven't made a decision, but most likely I will not be returning to Volterra. After today the name of Volturi will no longer carry weight."

"Then we wish to return for our things, and we shall go."

"I'm sure you can stay..."

"We thought with immortality would come the opportunity to see the world, see things we could have never dreamed of. It's been millennia. It is time for us to start exploring," Athenodora smiled, kissing each of Hermione's cheeks. Sulpicia followed suit, and the wives turned and disappeared into the woods.

Again Hermione turned towards the fight, but it was dying down. She could see a couple more had surrendered, probably to Carlisle, from a distance she recognized one as Heidi. She ran towards her family, passing several smoldering piles, none of which betrayed the life it once had been save for a scrap of clothes or a piece of jewelry, none of which she recognized. The air was thick with purple smoke, and she was wondering if the Muggles would notice and send someone out to investigate, though that would probably fall to Charlie. At least it would force Edward and Bella to make some confessions if he did, but if he brought anyone else she would be forced to perform some Obliviation charms, and was suddenly thankful her wand hadn't been destroyed.

She made it to Carlisle and Esme, who were standing guard over Heidi and two witnesses who had surrendered, and were now standing where her family's line had once been, awaiting the judgment of the survivors.

"Hermione, thank God you're alright," Esme threw her arms around her, and Hermione couldn't help but hug her tightly back, then give another to Carlisle.

"Rosalie is gone," Carlisle said solemnly. "We saw her throw herself in front of one of the wolves who was injured, and drew it's attackers away at the cost of her own life."

"Emmett as well," Hermione replied in a whisper, and Esme gasped. "He didn't see it coming."

"Any of theirs...?" Carlisle managed to ask.

"Jacob and I killed Caius, though I admit having him help was a bit vindictive on my part. The wives surrendered, I allowed them to leave and won't tell anyone where they are going for their own protection. Other than that, Heidi is the only one I see of the inner circle who has survived."

"Aro?"

"I don't know. I'll have to ask around on our side."

"Anyone else we know unaccounted for?"

Hermione looked around. The fighting had stopped, there were now several dozen burning or smoldering piles. Three wolves had been killed, their nude human forms lying broken on the ground as their brethren started to gather around them. The closest one of these must have been one of the young ones they didn't allow to fight the newborns, he hadn't completed his growth spurt as the older wolves had, and looked every bit a young teenager lying there. Edward and Bella were talking quietly to Chelsea, who seemed distressed, with Afton nowhere to be found, Tanya, Kate, Felix, Carmen, Elezar, and another male she didn't know were combing the field, picking up pieces and tossing them into flaming piles. Peter and Charlotte were standing by the edge of the woods, looking at her wide-eyed, and then she realized it, but her eyes started darting around to confirm. It hadn't even occurred to her that it was a possibility, he was such a good fighter, the consummate survivor, as close to indestructible as one could get. She locked eyes with Amir, who was looking around with the same terrified, disbelieving look she was sure was mirrored on her own face. It couldn't be. It was impossible. There was no way...

But she searched the area several times, and didn't see him, and with each sweep of her eyes she became more panicked, the strength draining from her, and she felt herself sinking to her knees.

Alice and Jasper were gone.


	50. In the Wake of the Battle

**A/N: Wow. That last cliffie got quite the reaction. I had to get this out as quickly as I could.**

**The next chapter will be the last. It's been a long run, and it's where it needs to end. Thanks to everyone for their support. You all are wonderful.  
**

Someone was talking, but who and what about was a loss on her. Her world had stopped turning and for a moment she wished Caius had actually managed to finish her. She desperately wanted to talk to Alice, but she was gone as well, which would be even more of a shock to her had she been able to process anything more.

_Edward..._ she begged, her mind laid bare before him, unable to work through the crushing sadness enough to put up a mental block. He was the only one who might be able to verify...

And then someone was wrapping arms around her, stroking her hair.

"It'll be okay," Chelsea whispered, and Hermione clutched onto her for support and realized Chelsea was doing the same to her in her grief over losing Afton. She wondered if Chelsea was saying the words to her, or if she was trying to convince herself. Probably both. Two more pairs of legs appeared in front of them, and Edward and Bella joined their group, but kept their distance, allowing the two women who had lost everything their moment.

Hermione looked up at Edward, who was looking stunned. He shook his head once. He couldn't hear them. The family were gathered around them now, pulling Amir into the mix, though he was still standing, as dazed as if he had just survived a serious accident.

"Perhaps we should get them inside," Carlisle offered. "Away from the... cleanup."

"Yes," she heard Edward whisper. "We may be able to find something..."

"Come on, sweetheart," Hermione heard Felix's voice behind her, though there was no joke in it now. He lifted her up into his strong arms, and she buried her face into his chest, wishing for tears, wishing for some release besides screaming because she seemed to forget how to take air into her lungs. Her hands were clenched so tightly into fists she could feel that her fingernails were in danger of taking chunks out of her palms, but the pain was welcome. The pain drew away from the overwhelming sorrow that was threatening to drown her, the terror at facing life without him by her side, the excitement...

She sat bolt upright, and Felix stopped just short of the edge of the woods.

"What's going on, Hermione?" he asked, but she didn't answer. She knew she had felt it, just a twinge, but something that definitely was not supposed to be there.

And then another twinge, as if it were coming in waves and she was just at the crest on the beach, though this one had another feeling, happiness. Exactly the opposite of what she was feeling, what any rational person would be feeling if the love of their life had been taken from them.

She didn't say anything, just squirmed so Felix dropped her. She landed on her feet and stared, hardly daring to hope, at the far edge of the field where, an hour before, the line of Volturi once stood.

"Yes!" Edward cried, and Amir came out of his trance. He looked at Hermione, but she couldn't stop staring. They had to be... both of them... there were two streaks coming through the woods.

She was halfway across the field before she knew she was running, and he saw her and stopped, arms wide open, smile taking over his face, excitement and happiness impossible to shake from anyone near him.

"Jasper," she cried, throwing herself at him, her legs encircling his waist as he firmly held her to him and kissed her. She knew they shouldn't, not in view of those who had lost loved ones that day, but she had to, just to prove he was really there.

"I thought you were dead," she managed between kisses.

"Sorry, darlin'," he smiled. "I'll make it up to you, I promise."

"Make it up to me by never doing that again!" she hissed, but she hugged him tighter.

"Yes, ma'am," he said before kissing her again, but now that her brain was catching up with her delirious happiness she pulled away from him after just a moment.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

The words brought back the thoughts, of Emmett, of Rosalie, of Afton, of the young boy's mangled body...

He put her down, his face falling, the happiness ebbing. "Who?" he whispered.

"Afton. Emmett. Rosalie. I'm not sure who else."

He hugged her tightly. "We knew it might come to this."

"No, we knew it was going to be much worse."

"Chelsea really did save us all, didn't she?"

"She paid a terrible price for it. Where were you?"

"Aro bolted as soon as he realized you couldn't see him. Alice and I got distracted for a minute with Demetri, then we gave chase. I reckon he must have made it halfway to Canada before we caught up with him."

"And you destroyed him?"

"Well, not exactly. We were about to, but then something came up, and we allowed someone to dole out a bit of justice."

"Who..." she started, but then she saw him emerging from the woods, looking grim but satisfied, the life still behind his eyes, looking more like a person than he ever had before. Marcus.

"Hermione," he said, coming to her and holding out his hand, but she threw her arms around him.

"We did it," she whispered.

"You did it. Without you no one would have had the courage to start this, and things would be as they always were."

She looked around, the survivors were gathering around them, the former leaders, looking expectant.

"Word will get out," Marcus said. "Chaos will ensue if we don't show that there is still a presence, still someone who will enforce the rules."

"We can't just start another group of Volturi," Hermione shook her head. "It's too dangerous, too much power is at stake."

"The way to avoid that is to elect a leader, and give them term limits. I daresay twenty or twenty-five years is long enough for any one vampire to run an enforcement branch," Carlisle offered.

"The leader should be limited to calling together a group and taking a vote on enforcement issues, not running around unchecked," she replied.

"There are trouble spots," Marcus nodded, "but they can be taken care of. We have enough allies surrounding us now, with enough distance between them, that any issues that should arrive in the future will be reported, if we decide to work as a group and not one coven against everyone else. Unfortunately, the best way to respond to the current trouble spots is much like we have run things for so long, use superior numbers and impressive talents to take care of the job, though the process of keeping those in through coercion and thinly veiled threats must end. Once things are peaceful, I do not see a need for everyone to be living together. It may be beneficial to live apart and only gather once a year and when attention is needed somewhere."

"But it is going to take a few years of hard work," Hermione replied. "We must get the Southern Wars under control, and not just the trouble spots, they must end. Aro was never willing to commit the time and resources to finish them for good, perhaps he wanted something to do every so often. We will never have peace if they aren't taken care of. The vampire who is creating the half-breeds," she said with a nod at Nahuel, "also needs to be taken care of, we don't need the attention. Those are the main concerns, as well as anything that pops up from those who think that with the death of the Volturi comes the free reign to do whatever they want. We need to take time off to mourn those we've lost, but too long and we will have more problems on our hands than we want to deal with."

"I'll stand with you, Hermione," Marcus said, offering his hand to her.

"With me?" she said in surprise.

"Did you have any doubts as to who our first leader would be?" he raised an eyebrow.

"But you..."

"Have held too much power for far too long. I shall not take power now, nor ever again. But I shall pledge my loyalty to you."

"I was as much in charge as you," she protested. "Surely someone else, who has proven to be fair and far away from the situation, like Carlisle..."

"I do not want it," Carlisle shook his head. "Right now we need a proven leader, until everything dies down and all the situations are resolved. But I will help in any way I can, Hermione."

"Edward? Alice?" she said, spinning around, desperate.

"Will you just accept it already?" Alice sighed. "You'll be a fine leader."

She looked to Jasper, who smiled and shrugged. "I think you'll be a fine leader, my love," he whispered.

"Twenty years. Twenty-five tops," she sighed. "After that, anyone who has participated in a mission shall be allowed a vote as to who the next leader is. Who is joining me?" she said, looking out across the group.

"I am," Chelsea was the first one to raise her hand. Hands shot up in groups, until most everyone's was in the air.

"It figures I wouldn't be done with you," she grumbled with a smile, looking at Felix.

"You'll never be done with me, sweetheart," he smiled, placing an arm around Tanya. "Any luck and I'll be family soon."

"That is a terrifying thought," she muttered, then turned to address everyone. "One week to mourn the dead, and make sure you're ready to put in the time and effort, and take the risk, of coming with me to help clean up the Southern Wars. And I mean clean them up, not just eliminate the problem spots. No one will be forced to stay or participate, you can leave and not return, but spread the word of what is happening."

There was a chorus of cheers, and vampires started leaving in small groups in several different directions. Soon Hermione was standing with only the Cullens, Marcus, and Chelsea.

"If it's all the same to you I'd like to stay around here," Chelsea said to Hermione. "I make no promises on my meal choices, but I'll try to be good. It's just... you're all I have left."

"As much time as you need," Hermione hugged her tightly. "I doubt it will be any problem with Carlisle and Esme."

"None at all," Esme smiled, welcoming her with a hug.

"Perhaps I could stay for a while as well?" Marcus asked. "I would like to catch up, Carlisle."

"As long as you'd like, old friend," Carlisle nodded.

Hermione suddenly noticed that, while most of the wolves had left, carrying their dead with them, Sam and Jacob were now standing on the edge of the field, looking at the group but refusing to join. She went over to them, but kept her distance the moment she saw them tensing.

"Thank you. For coming and for fighting. I'm so sorry for your losses..."

"We don't need to hear it, leech," Sam grumbled. "We need a favor."

"Anything."

"Most of our tribe doesn't know about the pack, and we have to keep it that way. If you could help us stage a car accident or something like that, we'd appreciate it."

"Just a car accident?" she asked in shock.

"The people who need to know what truly happened will. They'll be buried with honor and glory, Carlisle has already promised financial assistance with that. It may seem like an insult to you, but if we tell them what really happened it'll do a disservice to the tribe, and we can't possibly contain the information. Last thing we need is to get on your bad side."

"I'll be there soon, I promise."

"Give us a couple of hours, we have to get a car and nail down the story with the pack."

She conjured up a piece of paper and a pen, and scribbled her cell number on it. "Just call when you're ready. Jasper will have it, if I'm not back yet."

"Back?" Jacob asked.

"I have an errand I must do," she said as she heard someone approaching.

"Hermione," Bella said, grabbing her wrist, and Hermione turned to see her and Edward holding each other tightly. "Our daughter."

"I'm going," Hermione said, and then she went to Jasper, who kissed her before she could say anything. "Stay with Chelsea? She needs a familiar face."

"I'll be waiting for you to come back," he nodded.

Hermione took a step back, turned on the spot, and disappeared.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The last time the mood at the Burrow had been so quiet and somber was after the Battle of Hogwarts. Renesmee had not let go of Draco's hand since he had spirited her away from the fight, and he held onto her's just as tightly, his last link to Hermione. Molly had seemed to be in such a good mood when he showed up with the half-vampire girl in tow, but as soon as he explained what was going on she nearly collapsed. Luckily Arthur was there, and he helped his wife get to a chair before sending out Patrnous messages to his children. But before he could send one to Harry and Ginny they showed up. Harry had lashed out at Draco as soon as he realized that he had known what was going on, but Renesmee pleaded with him to stop, and he was unable to keep going in front of a little girl who was so sure she wasn't going to see her parents and everyone she loved again.

And so bewildered family members started trickling in, all convinced it was some big joke except Fred. Friends were summoned, and the Burrow was filled nearly past capacity, especially once Hagrid showed up, crying bucket-sized tears. The only ones who did not show up were Remus and Teddy. Andromeda said that Remus had taken Teddy into hiding for a while, until they were sure no vampires were after them.

No one knew the precise time, and they knew that news from them would be somewhat impossible, but as the sun began to set the general consensus was it was probably over, and the tears flowed anew. Liquor had been produced, but even that did not numb the pain. Fleur, Angelina, Andromeda, and, to Draco's surprise as he had not even expected his wife to show up, Astoria and Narcissa, had taken control of the pack of children, who had taken to asking Renesmee to show them her vampire family, and taken them back to Draco's estate with the promises of sweets and lots of fresh snow to run around in.

The sound of someone else Apparating just outside the boundaries of the Burrow did not even register with most of the inhabitants, and the ones who heard it assumed it was probably just another Hogwarts teacher or former schoolmate coming to express condolences. Hermione followed the path of footprints in the snow towards the door, and let herself in. No one was in the small kitchen, and it lacked the smell of freshly cooked food she had come to know and love about Molly. She followed the sound of heartbeats down the hallway, finding everyone crowded in the sitting room in front of a poorly-tended fire. No one even looked up at her.

"You lot look terrible," she said loudly.

"Hermione!" The shouts came from several places at once, but Renesmee was the quickest to reach her, and Hermione was grateful for that, as it was the most important for her to know her parents were safe. And before Hermione could get a word out she saw images of Edward and Bella, and a plea for information.

"Your Mum and Dad are fine," she said, crouching so she was on Renesmee's level, and the young girl burst into tears and hugged her fiercely. No one dared to break up the reunion, and before long other faces started flashing before Hermione's eyes. Renesmee wanted to know about the rest of her family, and Hermione knew it was going to crush her.

"Your grandparents are safe as well, as are Alice and Amir, but, I'm sorry to have to tell you beautiful girl, Rosalie and Emmett did not make it."

Tears were brimming again, but she did not cry immediately. Instead she pressed her hand to Hermione's face once more, and she saw Jasper's face.

"Jasper is fine as well. They're all anxiously awaiting our return, but I must ask you to wait just a little longer. I have to talk to everyone here, first, if that's okay."

She nodded, and returned to holding Draco's hand.

"She has become quite attached to you, hasn't she?" Hermione asked, but Draco was reaching for her, pulling her into a tight hug, tears of joy spilling onto her shirt.

"How?" he managed to ask.

"There was a key defection," she said. "Chelsea left, and broke the ties the Volturi had to each other. After that they fought, but it was every man for himself on their side. We fought, we won, and there are losses. I'm going to be very busy for a while, we have to take up where the Volturi left off lest things go crazy. I've been chosen to lead our new group, so I'll have to set an example. But I promise that I'll visit as often as possible."

"Would you bring her?" he asked, lifting Renesmee's hand slightly. "You're right, she's charming, and easy to fall for."

"Of course. She seems to like you as well."

"Don't stay away too long," he pleaded.

"I'll be home soon," she promised, then she turned to envelop Harry in a tight hug.

"I can't believe you're alive," he whispered.

"You're not the only one. I'm so sorry I had to lie to you."

"I know why you did it. And I don't care. You're here."

"Hopefully this will never come up again."

"I can't take any more drama from you," he said in a choked laugh.

"I'll try not to deliver anymore."

"You better not. I'm not giving my daughter the middle name of 'Hermione' for nothing."

"Really?"

"Of course," he nodded. "Especially if you'll be godmother. Again."

"You ask so much of me," she sighed. "Do you expect me to be able to keep up with all your little terrors?"

"If anyone can, it's you. I'll have to ask Ginny, but we may be asking Jasper to be the godfather."

"I'm sure he'd appreciate it."

She quickly hugged everyone, and thanked them for their support through the years, then said she had kept Renesmee from her parents long enough. Renesmee said good-bye to Draco and eagerly climbed into Hermione's arms, and she Apparated them back to Forks to the big white house. Renesmee hurried inside, launching herself into her parent's arms, and the trio excused themselves to deal with the situation in private. Jasper was sitting with Chelsea, holding her, but relinquished his grip as Hermione took over. And for the first time in a long time she allowed everything to wash over her, and she joined her family in their silence.


	51. Epilogue

**A/N: This is it. I finally get to put the 'finished' tag on this. It really stretched from the original first few chapters, but I'm glad you guys have seemed to like the extension. Thanks to everyone who stuck through this to the very end, especially my awesome beta Maria Binger. **

"Where are they?" the young boy asked his father for what must have been the tenth time since they had arrived at the Burrow.

"I'm not sure," James Potter replied for the same number of times. "They promised they were coming, and have they ever broken a promise before?"

"No," little Harry sighed.

"Okay. Now why don't you go see if your great-grandmother needs some help putting out food, yeah?"

"Okay," he sighed, slinking away just out of his father's sight before changing direction to run towards the large group of children who were dividing sides for a game of Quidditch before dinner.

"He's a lot like you," a voice said calmly behind James, who turned to see his father watching the group of kids, of which he was the proud grandfather of a large handful.

"He's just eager. It's his turn to go to Hogwarts this year, and he's excited and nervous," James replied.

"And Hermione did promise she's be back from their mission in time to come to the party, and he is rather fond of Hermione."

"I think he's more fond of Jasper, actually. Jasper does have the best stories."

As if on cue two cars pulled into the hidden driveway of the Burrow. They coasted cleanly to a stop just beyond the gate, and their occupants quickly poured out.

"Took you long enough, 'Mione," Harry said in a normal voice, knowing his friend would hear it.

"Blame him," Chelsea and Hermione appeared next to him in a blink, Chelsea's thumb jerking over her shoulder to Jasper, who was helping Esme unload baskets of food and bottles of wine from the trunk of one of the cars.

"Quiet," Hermione elbowed her in the ribs.

"What did Jasper do?" Harry asked, a smirk on his face betraying he already had a really good idea of what had happened.

"He got a little... frisky this morning, and made us all miss our plane. Carlisle had to charter another one, but it was a couple hours later," Chelsea replied.

"You need to learn better impulse control, then," Hermione shot back. "If you weren't so susceptible to emotional control..."

"Ladies, perhaps it is best that you don't kiss and tell, as they say," Marcus came up next to Chelsea, placing a hand on the small of her back. Hermione couldn't help but smile. It had taken Chelsea and Marcus the better part of forty years to get together, but once Chelsea had admitted she was ready to move on from Afton they had slipped into an easy relationship, and within a couple years became committed to each other. In the time since Hermione had noticed some physical changes in Marcus. Seeing a smile on his face more often than not had gotten rid of the air of depression and apathy that had surrounded him. Having to hunt for his food, even if it was only animals, got him moving, and cleared some of the dust out, and his skin was no longer thin and sickly-looking. He had been turned at nineteen, and he was finally starting to look that age. And seeing Chelsea happy was a bonus for Hermione, who was finally starting to settle into her own groove. She had been the leader of their new group of vampires for twenty-five years before she insisted that she step down, and they had elected Siobahn as their next leader. Since word had spread that their new group had completely obliterated all who were involved in the Southern Wars missions had been few and far between, though occasionally someone did cause a problem, and there was never a shortage of volunteers to go take care of the problem. Siobahn had been their leader for twenty-five years, and they were in the process of electing a new one, with Carlisle a top contender for the vote in the next week.

Suddenly she heard the sound of someone coming up behind her, and Jasper's strong arms wrapped around her from behind, and he kissed her cheek.

"Easy, now," Harry laughed. "We heard why you were late."

"Did Chelsea try to blame this morning on me? Because I don't force anyone to do anything. They could have gotten on that plane without us and I would have gladly Apparated here afterwards."

"Not all of us like Apparation," Chelsea grumbled.

"Then next time keep your hands to yourself and get on the plane," Jasper smirked.

"Where's Draco? I have something for him," Hermione rolled her eyes as she disentangled herself from Jasper's embrace.

"By the Quidditch pitch, making sure Scorpius calls a fair game. Last time he pointed out the snitch to Regulus."

"I see," she said before excusing herself and heading over to the Quidditch pitch. As promised Draco was standing next to his son, trying to even out the teams as Regulus Malfoy had been trying to bribe the better players onto his team with the promises of Chocolate Frogs. Regulus was the first to see her coming, and hurried over for a hug and a peck on the cheek.

"You're looking lovely today, Aunt Hermione," he smiled widely.

"And you are acting very much like your father and grandfather. Thinking you can buy yourself the best and charm yourself out of trouble?"

"It's worked in the past," he beamed before running off.

"My son," Renesmee chuckled as she handed Draco and Scorpius drinks, her hand automatically finding Scorpius'. She was still so young looking, barely looking old enough to drink, but Hermione had not been surprised when she had turned out to be a witch, and had convinced Bella and Edward to let her go to Hogwarts. She kept in close touch with Nahuel, and as it became more obvious that her lifespan would be even more than a witch or wizards, she and Scorpius knew they had a choice to make. Scorpius would be joining their family once their two children were out of the house, and in time even Draco had come to support the idea.

"Is everything better in Spain?" Draco asked.

"It was hardly worth the effort of us going down there," Hermione shrugged. "The ones stalking the cruise ships won't be an issue anymore. I got something for you, though," she said, reaching into the same beaded bag she had been carrying for so many years and coming up with a wrapped package.

"What's this?" Draco asked, taking it by the corner as if he were afraid the thing would explode.

"Just open it and stop being such a distrusting Slytherin," Hermione rolled her eyes.

Cautiously Draco opened the paper, revealing a cookbook. "Thanks, Hermione, you seem to have forgotten my complete ineptitude in the kitchen."

"I was told by the woman in the shop that it is the best book for those whose delicate stomachs cannot handle good Spanish food."

Renesmee laughed, a sound that made it impossible for anyone in the vicinity not to smile. Scorpius beamed as his wife wordlessly told him something.

"Yes, I think it's best we go and find your parents, and make sure they are still willing to watch the little terror when we go away for your birthday," he said, and led her away after placing Fred Weasley in charge of the game, which Hermione thought was probably a good move as Fred rivaled his father in energy and never seemed to have a problem keeping a pitch full of youngsters in check.

"Any plans for the near future?" Draco asked as he offered his arm to lead her back towards the main group.

"Nothing concrete," Hermione replied. "Peter and Charlotte haven't seen us in the better part of a decade, perhaps its about time we go annoy them for a bit. They've been talking about taking a trip to Australia.

"As if Australia doesn't have enough deadly creatures without you lot wandering around."

"They do have some very large crocodiles."

"Who would have no idea what hit them."

"Well, Jasper has said his ambition is to take down the biggest great white he can find, so I guess Australia would be lovely this time of year."

"Perhaps Astoria and I could spend some time down there, as well, if you're looking for some more companions. And Ginny has been complaining about how much Potter has been working."

"You, voluntarily going on vacation with Harry Potter? My, my, if Severus could hear you..."

"Severus is thoroughly enjoying his solitude up north, and from what I hear is quite near a breakthrough on his potion."

"Solitude, you say? Well, if that's the line he's been feeding you..." she smirked.

"What?" he asked in surprise as he stopped dead.

"He has had an awfully feminine scent on him the last couple times I've seen him, though perhaps he's just embracing his womanly side."

"If Severus has a womanly side I'll give all the money in my Gringotts account to never see it. The man is pushing 90, who in the hell did he find to shag?"

"Now, now, I've said too much, but remember that you, sir, are pushing 70 and have around another hundred years or so of life expectancy. That is an awfully long time to go without a shag."

"You would know. You and your husband can't keep your hands off each other for more than a couple of days."

"No need to be nasty, or is this just jealousy rearing it's ugly head?"

"How could I not be jealous of him?" he asked with a nod of his head towards Jasper, who had several generations of women surrounding him, laughing as he held Fred's new baby and made it giggle. "Everywhere he goes he has women watching him and hanging on his every word with that accent of his, he's got that old world gentleman thing, and most of all he has your eye and no matter how many years it's been your eyes never seem to wander."

"He's my mate. Why would my eyes wander?"

"I would have assumed there would be something like the fifty year itch."

"What kind of girl do you think I am?"

"You've known the answer to that for years."

She was quiet, tugging his arm a little to get them moving again.

"At least he makes you happy. That's all anyone ever wanted for you, Hermione. We were just a bit surprised at how you got it."

"Can you imagine what life would be like if it had been normal for us?"

"I don't want to. Without everything that happened I never would have been motivated to change, and I was a giant prat back in the day."

"Yes, you were, ferret," Jasper was suddenly next to them.

"You should talk, cowboy," Draco grumbled, though the edge of his mouth was upturned.

"Molly says she just put out lunch and to tell you before the kids come in and make a total mess of it. And Esme wanted to say hello."

"Well, if it's for Esme," he smirked, wiggling his eyebrows and smoothing back his hair- now more white than blonde.

"Your friends are odd at times," Jasper mumbled, wrapping his arms around Hermione.

"I wouldn't have them any other way," she replied, giving him a quick kiss.

"What was that for?"

"Hmmm... starters. You'll have to wait for later for the rest."

"You are going to torture me all day, aren't you?"

"It's one of my favorite games," she admitted.

His arms snaked tighter, drawing her closer to him, and she felt a wave of lust wash over her. He slowly kissed her, bending her low and sending a tingle down her spine before whispering in her ear, "Two can play at this game."

It took her a moment to remember her surroundings. "We best tone it down before Chelsea accuses us of being bad influences again."

"Yes, ma'am," he purred, sending another tingle down her spine.

"You are not playing fair," she accused.

"I bet I last longer than you."

"Interesting... what's the wager? Loser has to fix the house?"

"Not fair, you can just wave your wand, I have to do actual work!"

"But it's well worth it," she smiled seductively, bit her lip, and ran her fingers over his abs. Across the lawn Alice started giggling and Edward shot them both a disgusted look.

"Prude," Jasper called to him as he led Hermione towards them. "Hey, little lady, who wins?"

"I'm not telling," Alice replied. "It won't be as fun for you two if I do."

"Fair enough," he shrugged as a mass of children started running towards the food. Within a few minutes Hermione was sitting at a long table, surrounded by her friends and by a throng of children filled with excitement and energy over the train ride that would take them to Hogwarts the next day. She chatted a little, produced treats for the school year, and promised to stop by Kings Cross the next day to see them off. As the sun went down and she sat on the cool grass to watch George set off his customary start-of-year fireworks she snuggled close to Jasper and knew that even if he wasn't influencing her emotions in that moment, she'd still be deliriously happy.


End file.
